The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned that terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and insurgents have stepped up coordinated attacks across the country, leaving more than 131 people dead in Borno, Katsina, and Edo States over the weekend.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, lamented that the new wave of killings adds to the over 65,000 lives already lost to insecurity in Nigeria over the past decade.
“These simultaneous deadly attacks by Boko Haram, ISWAP, bandits, and kidnappers show an intensification of the bloody war being waged by armed non-state actors against Nigerians,” Onwubiko said.
The group highlighted the massacre of at least 55 people in Darul Jama, Borno State, where armed fighters stormed the village on motorbikes, killing civilians and soldiers, and burning homes. HURIWA also noted the resilience of residents in Sokoto communities, including Bimasa, who fought back against bandits, killing several and recovering stolen livestock.
In Katsina, seven people were killed in Magajin Wando village, though the state government confirmed that swift intervention by security operatives prevented further casualties. Similarly, in Edo State, eight Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officers were slain during an attack targeting Chinese expatriates working for BUA Cement. Four expatriates were kidnapped, but most were rescued.
HURIWA praised improved response efforts by security agencies under the leadership of Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu but stressed that communities must not be left to defend themselves alone.
The group urged greater collaboration among security agencies to prevent further losses and called for urgent judicial reforms to ensure speedy trials of terrorists and mass killers.
“After more than a decade of bloodshed, Nigeria must act decisively to end terrorism. Our armed forces and DSS are making progress, but this war must be won quickly. Nigerians deserve peace, security, and justice,” Onwubiko stated.
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