HURIWA Urges Tinubu To Declare Emergency Rule In Kwara Over Insecurity
THE Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Kwara State, citing what it described as a total collapse of governance and escalating terrorist attacks in rural communities.
In a statement issued Saturday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the group urged the Federal Government to deploy comprehensive security measures to “crush the terrorists that have invaded many rural areas of Kwara State.”
Alleged Mass Abduction
HURIWA referenced media reports alleging that suspected Boko Haram insurgents — formally known as Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lidda’awati wal-Jihad — circulated a video showing 176 abducted residents, including women, children and a nursing mother.
The victims were reportedly taken from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area. The group claimed the video contradicts earlier assertions that only a few persons were kidnapped.
“Isn’t it a big shame that the Kwara State government allegedly claimed that only few citizens were kidnapped whereas the terrorists have reportedly played video evidence showing over 176 citizens were violently kidnapped?” HURIWA queried.
Call for Federal Intervention
The association argued that the scale of violence in Kwara demands urgent federal intervention. It alleged that more than 300 citizens have been killed in the state this year alone, describing the security situation as a “cocktail of bloodbath.”
According to HURIWA, governance in the state has “invariably collapsed,” insisting that only a declaration of emergency rule would enable the Federal Government to restore order and rebuild security infrastructure.
“The most important task for President Tinubu is to ensure the safe return of the 176 citizens kidnapped by terrorists,” the group said, adding that those responsible must face the full weight of the law.
Comparison With Rivers
HURIWA also drew parallels with the earlier declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State, noting that the action was taken before reported killings reached such magnitude.
The group argued that the situation in Kwara is “long overdue” for similar intervention, urging the president to act decisively to prevent further loss of lives and to reassure citizens of their safety.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Government had not issued an official response to the claims.
