The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a stark warning over the escalating killings in Plateau and Benue States, declaring that the Nigerian government is failing in its most basic duty to protect its citizens.
In a forceful statement released Thursday and signed by its National coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA described the persistent attacks, allegedly carried out by armed Fulani militant groups, as “a sustained campaign of violence marked by brutality, impunity, and official inaction.”
“We are witnessing not just a security breakdown, but a moral collapse in governance,” the group said. “Innocent Nigerians are being slaughtered, communities are being wiped out, and yet the response from those in power remains dangerously inadequate.”
HURIWA directly accused both Plateau and Benue State governments of leadership, citing what it called a pattern of denial, weak response, and troubling silence in the face of repeated atrocities.
On Benue State, the group condemned authorities for previously dismissing claims of genocide despite growing concern from both local stakeholders and international observers.
“It is deeply disturbing,” HURIWA stated, “that while credible international voices—including a United States Congressional delegation—have reportedly raised alarms over targeted attacks, the state government has chosen denial over decisive action.”
Turning to Plateau State, HURIWA expressed alarm over the governor’s admission that several rural communities are effectively under the control of armed groups.
“Such an admission, without urgent and visible action to reclaim those territories, amounts to a grave abdication of responsibility,” the group said. “Government cannot acknowledge occupation and then fail to act.”
The association stressed that the killings have continued relentlessly since the inauguration of the current federal administration, leaving a trail of casualties in the villages, and displaced populations.
“These are not isolated tragedies,” HURIWA insisted. “They are recurring, predictable, and preventable failures.”
Framing the crisis as both a security and ethical emergency, the group warned that continued inaction risks plunging affected regions deeper into chaos while eroding public trust in government institutions.
HURIWA outlined a series of urgent demands, calling on security agencies to immediately arrest and prosecute perpetrators, deploy forces to reclaim occupied communities, and establish intelligence-driven operations to prevent further attacks.
“We insist that there must be no sacred cows,” the statement read. “Justice must be pursued decisively and transparently.”
The group also called for honest public communication from state authorities, comprehensive support for victims, and a sweeping review of Nigeria’s national security strategy.
“Nigeria cannot continue on this path where citizens are abandoned while armed groups operate freely,” HURIWA declared. “The sanctity of human life must be upheld—not in words, but through concrete action.”
As violence continues to devastate communities in Plateau and Benue, HURIWA’s message is unequivocal: the time for explanations has passed—the time for decisive action is now.
‘Nigeria Is Failing Its People’: HURIWA Sounds Alarm Over Killings in Plateau, Benue
