HURIWA Tells Tinubu: Crack Down on Kidnappers or Resign

• HURIWA demands President Tinubu take decisive action against kidnappers or resign, citing escalating insecurity and ineffective government response under his leadership
• The organization criticizes Nigeria’s security agencies for corruption and lack of transparency, warning that the country risks becoming a failed state

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a strong call to President Bola Tinubu, demanding that he take decisive action against kidnappers or step down from his position. In a statement released on Saturday, the organization condemned the escalating insecurity in the country, characterized by frequent kidnappings and killings.

HURIWA argued that the worsening security situation under Tinubu’s administration is evidence of Nigeria’s status as a failed state. The group criticized the government’s inability to effectively combat the growing threat of kidnappers, noting that the situation has only deteriorated since Tinubu assumed office over a year ago.

“We are at a point where kidnappers will soon be going from house to house or even start demanding protection fees from citizens. This is because they have proven time and again that they can abduct anyone at any time, regardless of where they are in Nigeria,” the statement, signed by Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, read.

The organization also highlighted issues within Nigeria’s security agencies, accusing them of lacking transparency, being plagued by corruption, and allowing impunity to thrive among their leadership. HURIWA suggested that President Tinubu’s reluctance to replace the heads of these security departments either indicates complicity or fear of the military.

“If a government cannot guarantee the security of its citizens, it has lost its legitimacy. President Tinubu should, therefore, tackle insecurity sternly or resign immediately, as his administration has failed in its primary duty to protect Nigerians,” HURIWA stated.

In addition to criticizing the president, HURIWA also condemned the National Assembly for what it perceives as negligence. The group expressed outrage that lawmakers went on a two-month recess amid worsening insecurity, accusing them of being more focused on their political ambitions than on addressing the country’s critical issues. HURIWA described the legislators as “a bunch of gangsters, more like legislative bandits,” who are benefiting financially while neglecting their duties to the Nigerian people.