HURIWA faults defence chief over ‘prodigal son’ remark, demands apology

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly condemned recent remarks reportedly attributed to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, in which he allegedly likened the possibility of rehabilitating terrorists to the Biblical parable of the prodigal son, describing the analogy as deeply offensive, intellectually flawed and a troubling reflection of what it called a crisis of leadership within Nigeria’s armed forces.

In a statement signed by its national coordinator,  Emmanuel Onwubiko in Abuja, the rights advocacy group said the comparison of members of Boko Haram and ISWAP to the prodigal son in the Holy Bible is not only inappropriate but amounts to a dangerous moral equivalence that diminishes the gravity of the atrocities committed by these terror groups.

HURIWA argued that the prodigal son narrative is rooted in repentance after moral failing within a family setting, not the systematic slaughter of innocent civilians, mass abductions, bombings and acts that clearly constitute crimes against humanity.

The group maintained that such a statement from the nation’s highest-ranking military officer sends the wrong signal at a time when Nigerians expect decisive, disciplined and uncompromising action against terrorism.

HURIWA said that rather than projecting strength and resolve, the remarks suggest a military leadership that is struggling to confront the realities of asymmetric warfare and is resorting to rhetoric that could be interpreted as providing a soft landing for individuals responsible for widespread bloodshed.

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The association stressed that the Nigerian state has a primary obligation under both domestic and international law to protect citizens and ensure that perpetrators of heinous crimes are held accountable.

According to the group, the invocation of a Biblical parable in this context is particularly insensitive to millions of Christians who do not associate their faith with violence, extremism or jihadist ideology.

It said drawing such parallels risks trivialising both religious teachings and the suffering of victims, while also raising concerns about the appropriateness of religious analogies in matters of national security policy.

HURIWA further stated that the comments amount to an affront to the memory of countless Nigerians who have lost their lives to terrorist attacks across the country, including recent victims of bombings and insurgent violence in the North-East. It noted that for families still grieving loved ones killed in such attacks, any suggestion that perpetrators deserve leniency or symbolic comparison to figures of redemption is not only insensitive but amounts to what it described as “dancing on the graves of victims.”

HURIWA specifically drew attention to the heartbreaking killing of a young National Youth Service Corps member, identified as Chidiebere Orji from Enugu State, who was among victims of the Maiduguri bomb blast and has since been buried in his hometown, describing his death as emblematic of the continued human cost of what it called the military’s failure to decisively defeat insurgency.

The group called on General Oluyede to tender an unreserved public apology to Nigerians, particularly to victims of terrorism and members of the Christian faith who may find the analogy offensive. It insisted that leadership at the highest level of the armed forces must reflect clarity of purpose, discipline in communication and an unwavering commitment to justice.