Odita Sunday 
HURIWA demands answers from Tinubu over mass abduction of 600 Niger residents
By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded urgent action and transparent communication from the Federal Government over the reported abduction of about 600 residents during the August 22 attack on communities in Niger State.
The rights group, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Saturday, said the reported abduction of residents of Dekera, Gidan-Zana and Sabon Gida, coupled with the reported killing of at least 40 people, amounted to a grave national security and humanitarian emergency.
HURIWA expressed concern over reports that families of the victims had received no communication from the kidnappers for about two weeks, while government authorities had also failed to provide clear information on ongoing rescue efforts.
The association said Nigerians deserved to know the concrete measures being taken by security agencies to locate the abducted citizens and bring them home safely.
It acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to security agencies to rescue the victims but stressed that such directives must translate into visible and measurable results.
“A presidential order to rescue abducted citizens cannot end as a statement in the media. Nigerians need results. Families need information. The abducted citizens need to come home alive,” HURIWA said.
The group also expressed concern over reports of a woman who was allegedly abducted with her husband and three children, including a newborn, barely one week after giving birth.
It described the incident as a disturbing illustration of the human cost of the country’s insecurity.
“What kind of country allows a mother and her newborn baby to disappear into the hands of armed criminals while government agencies remain unable to tell the family what they are doing to rescue them?” the group asked.
HURIWA also condemned the reported destruction of homes and displacement of residents following the attack, saying government responsibility should extend beyond the deployment of security personnel after attacks.
According to the association, displaced victims require food, shelter, medical assistance and adequate protection against further attacks.
“Citizens whose homes are reduced to ashes cannot be abandoned to the mercy of the rains and hunger. The government has a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property,” it said.
The rights group urged the Federal Government, Niger State Government and security agencies to provide affected families with credible and regular updates on rescue operations.
It also called for an urgent investigation into how the attackers were able to execute what residents described as a large-scale and coordinated assault that resulted in mass abductions and killings.
“The government must explain how hundreds of Nigerians can be taken hostage in a single operation without an effective intervention,” HURIWA said.
It urged security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated operations to locate the abducted citizens, while ensuring that the safety of victims remained the priority during any rescue operation.
The association further called for the establishment of a dedicated communication channel through which affected families could receive verified information on the progress of rescue efforts.
HURIWA warned that prolonged silence could deepen public distrust and make victims’ families feel abandoned by the government.
“Every abducted Nigerian is a citizen whose life is protected by the Constitution. Their families are not asking for charity. They are demanding the most basic duty of government — protection of life and the safe return of their loved ones,” the group said.
It therefore demanded urgent action, transparent communication and accountability over the reported mass abduction, insisting that the government must demonstrate that the lives of ordinary Nigerians remain a priority.
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