The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expresses outrage over the continued silence and apparent lack of concrete public information concerning the fate of hundreds of citizens abducted during the August 22 attack on communities in Niger State.
HURIWA says the reported abduction of about 600 residents of Dekera, Gidan-Zana and Sabon Gida, alongside the reported killing of at least 40 people, represents a grave national security and humanitarian emergency that the Federal Government must not treat as another routine security incident.
The rights group says it is particularly disturbed by reports that families of the victims have received no communication from the kidnappers for two weeks, while government authorities have also failed to provide them with clear information on rescue operations.
HURIWA says Nigerians deserve to know what concrete measures the security agencies are taking to locate the victims and bring them home safely.
The association notes that President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to rescue the hostages but stresses that presidential directives must translate into visible and measurable action.
“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 says.
The association describes as deeply disturbing the account of a family whose relative is reportedly abducted barely one week after giving birth.
According to reports, the woman is taken alongside her husband and three children, including the newborn baby. HURIWA says such circumstances expose the brutal human cost of Nigeria’s worsening 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 asks.
HURIWA also condemns the reported destruction of homes and displacement of residents following the attack.
The association says government responsibility does not end with the deployment of soldiers after an attack, insisting that displaced victims require food, shelter, medical assistance and protection from 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,” HURIWA says.
The rights group urges the Federal Government, Niger State Government and security agencies to immediately provide families with credible and regular updates on the rescue operation.
HURIWA also demands an urgent investigation into how the attackers are able to carry out what residents describe as a large-scale and coordinated assault resulting 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. Nigerians cannot continue to live in communities where terrorists and kidnappers determine who lives, who dies and who disappears,” HURIWA says.
The association calls on the security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated operations aimed at locating the abducted citizens while ensuring that any rescue mission prioritises the safety of the victims.
HURIWA further urges the government to establish a dedicated communication channel through which affected families can receive verified information about rescue efforts.
The association warns that prolonged silence could deepen public distrust and leave victims’ families feeling abandoned by the state.
“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,” HURIWA says.
HURIWA therefore demands urgent action, transparent communication and accountability over the mass abduction, stressing that the government must demonstrate that the lives of ordinary Nigerians are not expendable.
Signed:
Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
National Coordinator
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA). Saturday, September 5th, 2026.
