The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a stark warning over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, declaring that escalating violence is no longer just a security challenge but a direct threat to national survival and economic collapse.
Citing the latest Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database released by Nextier, HURIWA revealed that 842 Nigerians were killed, 279 abducted, and 156 violent attacks recorded in May 2026 alone. The figures represent a sharp surge in violence, including a 90.1 per cent rise in fatalities compared to the same period in 2025.
The group described the statistics as evidence that the country is sliding deeper into one of its most severe security crises in modern history, with devastating consequences for both human life and national development.
HURIWA warned that behind the numbers lies a growing national tragedy—families destroyed, communities displaced, businesses shuttered, and livelihoods wiped out. It said insecurity is now eroding every pillar of national stability, from the economy to education and social cohesion.
According to the organisation, Nigeria’s worsening reputation for terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and armed violence is rapidly driving away investors, with both local and foreign capital increasingly fleeing or avoiding the country altogether. It noted that businesses are scaling down operations, abandoning expansion plans, or relocating to safer environments.
The group said the economic fallout is already visible in rising unemployment, declining productivity, capital flight, and deepening poverty, warning that every abandoned investment represents lost jobs and shrinking opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
HURIWA also highlighted a collapsing tourism sector, noting that insecurity has severely reduced travel confidence, hotel occupancy, and revenue across the hospitality and transport industries.
In agriculture, the association said rural insecurity has forced farmers off their land, disrupted food production, and worsened inflation and hunger nationwide. The education sector, it added, remains under constant threat from school kidnappings and attacks, creating fear among parents and disrupting learning.
The group further warned that the financial burden of insecurity is draining public resources, forcing government to divert funds from critical development areas such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and housing into emergency security responses.
HURIWA stressed that the cumulative economic losses are incalculable, describing insecurity as a “silent destroyer” of Nigeria’s economic future through disrupted supply chains, abandoned projects, and declining investor confidence.
The organisation urged the Federal Government to adopt a comprehensive, intelligence-driven security strategy, improve welfare and equipment for security forces, strengthen border control, and ensure swift prosecution of offenders. It also called for stronger collaboration between government, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and civil society.
HURIWA concluded that Nigeria has reached a critical point where insecurity can no longer be treated as routine crime management, but as a full-scale national emergency requiring urgent and decisive leadership.