Odita Sunday 
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a stern warning that Nigeria may face nationwide civil unrest if the Federal Government fails to address the worsening security situation and the rising cost of living.
The civil rights advocacy group pointed to a recent protest in Ekpoma, Edo State, as a significant indicator of growing public frustration. Residents and students of Ambrose Alli University recently took to the streets to demonstrate against a wave of kidnappings and violent crimes, an action HURIWA described as a legitimate demand for accountability.
In a statement released on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA asserted that the Ekpoma demonstration could be a precursor to larger, coordinated protests. The group accused political leaders of prioritizing 2027 electoral ambitions over the immediate safety and economic survival of the citizenry.
“The combination of unchecked insecurity, mass youth unemployment, rising energy costs, and unpopular taxation policies is pushing Nigerians to the wall,” the statement read. HURIWA warned that future resistance could exceed the scale of the 2020 anti-police brutality demonstrations if the current governance trajectory remains unchanged.
HURIWA criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for frequent foreign travels during periods of domestic crisis, alleging a lack of decisive leadership while non-state actors continue to target schools, markets, and religious institutions. The group specifically referenced a recent invasion of a Catholic boarding school in Niger State as evidence that current security directives remain largely ineffective.
In response to the unrest in Ekpoma, the Principal Security Officer to the Edo State Governor, Austin Eigbiremolen, assured residents that additional security personnel would be deployed to flush out criminal elements.
Simultaneously, the Edo State Police Command reported a successful operation in the area. Police Public Relations Officer Eno Ikoedem disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, is personally overseeing operations in the town. She revealed that nine abducted persons, including five children, were rescued unhurt following the deployment of the Eagle Combat Drone Unit, which located the kidnappers’ camp and forced them to flee.
Despite these tactical successes, HURIWA maintains that the underlying issues of national instability and economic decay remain unresolved. The organization urged the Federal Government and state governors to suspend political calculations and focus on the constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.
“The masses are losing patience,” HURIWA concluded, calling for a genuine “change of heart” from the administration to prioritize national stability and economic recovery.
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