Odita Sunday 
A storm of outrage has greeted remarks attributed to the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, with the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) calling for his immediate apology and removal over what it described as a “deeply offensive” comparison between terrorists and the Biblical prodigal son.
In a strongly worded statement issued Friday in Abuja, HURIWA said the alleged analogy linking the rehabilitation of insurgents to the story of the prodigal son was not only inappropriate but dangerously trivialises the scale of atrocities committed by terror groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.
The rights group argued that equating insurgents responsible for mass killings, abductions and bombings with a figure associated with repentance in a family setting reflects what it termed a “crisis of leadership” within Nigeria’s military hierarchy.
“It is intellectually flawed and morally indefensible,” the group said, stressing that the prodigal son narrative does not align with acts it described as crimes against humanity.
HURIWA warned that such remarks send the wrong signal at a time Nigerians expect a firm and uncompromising stance against terrorism, adding that the comment risks being interpreted as offering a “soft landing” to perpetrators of violence.
The group further accused the military leadership of failing to demonstrate sufficient resolve in confronting insurgency, citing long-standing concerns over alleged procurement irregularities, inadequate troop welfare and gaps in strategic response to asymmetric warfare.
It also described the use of a Biblical analogy in national security discourse as insensitive, particularly to Christians, and warned that such comparisons could trivialise both religious teachings and the suffering of victims of terrorism.
Referencing recent attacks in the North-East, HURIWA said the remarks amount to an affront to victims and grieving families, including that of a slain National Youth Service Corps member, Chidiebere Orji, whose death it described as emblematic of the human cost of insurgency.
The group called on General Oluyede to issue an unreserved public apology to Nigerians and urged the Federal Government to review the leadership of the armed forces, including considering disciplinary measures.
Citing the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, HURIWA emphasised that terrorism remains a grave offence requiring strict accountability, noting that while deradicalisation may form part of counterterrorism strategy, it must not be framed in a manner that diminishes justice for victims.
The association maintained that Nigeria must adopt a security approach anchored on accountability, intelligence-driven operations and firm legal consequences, warning that any narrative perceived as lenient could undermine deterrence and embolden insurgents.
HURIWA concluded that effective counterterrorism requires not just military capability but leadership that communicates with clarity, discipline and sensitivity in a country still grappling with the devastating impact of insurgency.
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