By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State following the reported killing of at least 23 farmers in Sauna/Ruwan Gora community of Talata Mafara Local Government Area, arguing that the worsening insecurity has overwhelmed constitutional governance in the state.

According to a statement signed by HURIWA National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the association described the latest attack as another indication that Zamfara had become “a vast killing field where terrorists exercise authority with near impunity.” It urged the President to invoke constitutional provisions for emergency rule, insisting that the security situation now required extraordinary federal intervention. The group added that “the time for half measures has passed,” maintaining that sustained terrorist violence had created a humanitarian crisis that could no longer be ignored.

“How many more innocent Nigerians must die before extraordinary constitutional measures are considered?” the association asked.

HURIWA extended condolences to families of those killed and expressed solidarity with residents of Zamfara, saying the state had endured years of killings, kidnappings, displacement and destruction of livelihoods.

The group cited recent assessments by Amnesty International, alleging that hundreds of people had been killed in Zamfara over the past two years, while many others had been abducted and several communities overrun by armed groups.

“The latest massacre is not an isolated incident. It is part of a sustained campaign of terror that has persisted for over a decade,” the statement said.

HURIWA also referenced conflict data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), as cited by the European Union Agency for Asylum, which it said recorded about 760 violent incidents in Zamfara between January 2024 and August 2025, resulting in approximately 2,806 deaths.

The association further cited reports by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), claiming that attacks in Gummi Local Government Area in June 2026 displaced nearly 8,800 residents.

Arguing that the situation now met the threshold for emergency intervention, HURIWA urged the Federal Government to take direct control of security coordination in the state for a defined period to strengthen military operations, improve intelligence gathering and restore civil authority in communities affected by armed attacks.

“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 added.

The organisation, however, said any emergency measures should comply with constitutional provisions, remain temporary, be subject to legislative oversight and focus on restoring public safety and democratic governance.

HURIWA also expressed concern over the activities of notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, alleging that previous peace negotiations with armed groups allowed some criminal elements to regroup and strengthen their operations instead of ending hostilities.

The group called for sustained military operations, improved border surveillance, prosecution of alleged terror financiers, greater protection for farming communities and increased humanitarian support for displaced persons.

“Nigeria cannot continue to normalise the mass slaughter of its citizens,” HURIWA stated, urging the Federal Government to investigate allegations of official collaboration with criminal networks and prosecute anyone found to have aided terrorist groups.

The association maintained that decisive action, rather than repeated condolences, was needed to end the cycle of violence in Zamfara State.