ABUJA — The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has declared itself “deeply outraged” by the latest massacre of at least 23 innocent farmers in the Sauna/Ruwan Gora community of Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the troubled state.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the rights group described the atrocity as yet another grim reminder that Zamfara has become “a vast killing field where terrorists exercise authority with near impunity while innocent citizens continue to pay the ultimate price.”
HURIWA extended its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and expressed solidarity with the people of Zamfara, who have endured years of relentless killings, kidnappings, village burnings, displacement, and destruction of livelihoods.
The association stressed that the latest massacre is not an isolated incident but part of a sustained campaign of terror that has persisted for over a decade, despite repeated military operations and enormous public expenditure on security.
According to recent assessments by Amnesty International, hundreds of people have been killed in Zamfara within the last two years alone, while hundreds more have been abducted. The organisation further reported that since the onset of the security crisis, hundreds of communities have been sacked, with vast areas across 13 local government areas remaining under the influence or control of armed bandits—creating one of Nigeria’s gravest humanitarian emergencies.
Independent conflict monitoring by ACLED, as referenced by the European Union Agency for Asylum, recorded approximately 760 violent security incidents in Zamfara between January 2024 and August 2025, resulting in about 2,806 fatalities. The report described Zamfara as one of Nigeria’s most dangerous states, with violence affecting every local government area.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also continued to document repeated mass displacements across the state. In one incident in June 2026 alone, attacks in Gummi Local Government Area displaced nearly 8,800 residents, illustrating the devastating humanitarian consequences of the continuing violence.
HURIWA stated that these statistics paint a disturbing picture of a state where constitutional governance is steadily giving way to the authority of armed criminal groups.
“How many more innocent Nigerians must die before extraordinary constitutional measures are considered?” the association asked.
The group believes the deteriorating security situation in Zamfara now meets the threshold of a grave emergency requiring decisive federal intervention. Accordingly, HURIWA called on President Tinubu to invoke the relevant constitutional provisions for the declaration of a state of emergency in Zamfara State—drawing a comparison to the extraordinary constitutional measures taken in Rivers State under different circumstances.
“If constitutional institutions can be suspended to address political instability, it would be difficult to justify withholding similar intervention where thousands of lives have been threatened by sustained terrorist violence,” the statement read.
HURIWA urged the President to consider measures that would allow the Federal Government to take direct control of security coordination in the state for a defined period, strengthen military and intelligence operations, restore civil authority in occupied communities, and protect the fundamental rights to life and security guaranteed under the Constitution.
The association stressed that any constitutional measures adopted must strictly comply with the provisions of the Constitution, remain temporary, be subject to legislative oversight, and focus primarily on restoring public safety and democratic governance.
HURIWA further noted with concern that notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji rose to prominence partly because previous attempts at negotiating peace with armed groups created opportunities for several criminal leaders to consolidate influence, regroup, and expand their operational networks—instead of laying down their arms permanently. Security experts have repeatedly questioned the effectiveness of those initiatives, arguing that while intended to reduce violence, they often enabled some criminal groups to rearm and strengthen their hold over vulnerable communities.
The latest massacre, HURIWA said, demonstrates that piecemeal responses have failed. Zamfara requires sustained military pressure, improved intelligence gathering, effective border surveillance, prosecution of terror financiers, protection of farming communities, humanitarian support for displaced persons, and the complete restoration of lawful government authority throughout the state.
The Federal Government must equally investigate every allegation of official collaboration with criminal networks and ensure that any public officer found aiding or protecting terrorists faces the full weight of the law, the group added.
“Nigeria cannot continue to normalise the mass slaughter of its citizens,” HURIWA declared. “History will judge today’s leaders not by the number of condolences they issue after every massacre, but by the courage and effectiveness of the actions they take to stop the bloodshed.”
“The time for half measures has passed. Zamfara deserves peace. Nigerians deserve security. The Constitution demands no less.”
