The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Kwara State due to the escalating insecurity, kidnappings and killings perpetrated by terrorists and bandits in different parts of the state.
The rights group which made the call in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said only a state of emergency would effectively implement holistic security measures to crush the terrorists that have invaded many rural areas of the state.
The group lamented that governance has invariably collapsed in Kwara which is “characterised by cocktails of bloodbath” and shows clearly the state governor doesn’t have what it takes to protect his people.
Onwubiko said it was a shame that terrorists and bandits have found Kwara State a very soft target where they infiltrate at will and abduct the people without resistance.
Reacting to a video released by Boko Haram terrorists showing 176 abducted victims, including women, children and a nursing mother, allegedly abducted from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state, HURIWA said it was a shame that the government claimed that less than 50 people were abducted.
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“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 to disprove this poor propaganda put up by Kwara State Government and these terrorists have claimed based on video evidence that over 176 citizens were violently kidnapped by terrorists?
“Are government officials both in Kwara and the Federal Government of Nigeria not ashamed that terrorists are operating freely wherever they chose to operate in Nigeria? This is tragically shameful.
“It is so unfortunate and disgraceful that the Kwara State governor has demonstrated a lack of ideas and zero knowledge of any sort of workable modalities, strategic approaches and efficient measures to protect the good people of Kwara State. The truth is that there is no functional government right now in Kwara State.
“With the killings of over 300 citizens this year alone in Kwara State, we think it is time that President Tinubu should impose a state of emergency and put security infrastructure in place to decimate, degrade and destroy the terrorists.
“The most important task for President Tinubu is to ensure the safe return of the 176 citizens kidnapped by terrorists and are being kept in intolerable situation of emotional, psychological and cruel physical torture by the terrorists.
“We demand that the mass murderers and terrorists must never be allowed to go without facing the wrath of the law if Nigeria is not a failed state. Only in a failed state can you see terrorists kill citizens at will and no kind of justice is imposed to punish the killers of citizens.”
