By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the reported killing of passengers by armed bandits along the road to Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, describing the attack as a cruel assault on the sanctity of human life and the safety of innocent citizens.

HURIWA demands effective and efficient coordination among security agencies, backed by proactive, intelligence-led operations, to prevent further bloodshed and protect Nigerians travelling on the nation’s highways.

Reports indicate that the armed assailants intercepted a vehicle conveying passengers returning from Sokoto city on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, and opened fire on those inside. The exact number of casualties had yet to be officially confirmed as of Thursday.

Conflict reporter Bakatsine, who covers security developments in northwestern Nigeria, reported the incident and shared photographs of some of the victims.

Some of those reportedly killed were said to be among the 3,000 people recruited by the Sokoto State Government who had travelled to the state capital for further screening and collection of their documents.

HURIWA describes the reported attack as a disturbing reminder of the grave security risks confronting citizens on roads in parts of northwestern Nigeria.

The association insists that security operations must move beyond reactive responses after attacks have occurred. Intelligence gathering, information sharing, strategic deployment and timely intervention must form the foundation of efforts to dismantle armed criminal networks and protect vulnerable communities.

HURIWA calls on the relevant security agencies to urgently investigate the incident, establish the identities and number of victims, track down the perpetrators and ensure that all those responsible are arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The association warns that the killers must not be allowed to escape justice. Every failure to identify and bring perpetrators of such atrocities to account risks deepening public anxiety and weakening citizens’ confidence in the ability of the state to protect their lives.

HURIWA also urges the Sokoto State Government and relevant federal authorities to cooperate fully with security agencies, provide necessary operational support and ensure that affected families receive timely information and appropriate assistance.

While acknowledging the challenges confronting security agencies, HURIWA maintains that the protection of lives and property remains a fundamental responsibility of government that must be pursued with urgency, professionalism and measurable results.

The association calls for stronger highway surveillance, improved intelligence networks and closer coordination among the police, military and other relevant security agencies to prevent armed groups from turning public roads into killing grounds.

HURIWA extends its condolences to the families of the victims and calls on authorities to provide transparent updates on the incident as investigations proceed.

By Our Correspondent

The Senate has through its committee on Public Accounts , rejected records of volume of Petroleum importation presented to it by Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority ( NMDPRA) for 2022 and 2023 on account of wide disparities between them and those presented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited ( NNPCL).

It consequently resolved to summon heads of NMDPRA , NNPCL and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative ( NEITI) for possible reconciliation of the records or final exposure of suspected fraud to have been carried out.

Wide disparities in records of NMDPRA and NNPCL on volume of PMS imported by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2022 and 2023 , came to the fore when management of NMDPRA responded to queries leveled against it in the NEITI Audit report of 2021 to 2023 .

Authority Chief Executive of NMDPRA ( ACE) , Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar , represented by a Deputy Director , Uzoamaka Ugwu – Ojobe , had in responding to NEITI query, told the committee that NMDPRA records on volume of Petroleum importation were credible despite disparities with those of the NNPCL .

” We stand by 3.29billion litres of PMS as volume imported in 2022 and 6.02billion litres as volume imported in 2023 against 6.27 billion litres recorded by NNPCL in 2022 and 3.88billion litres in 2023.

” The slight disparities are being looked into for possible reconciliation “, she said .

Irked by her submission , a member of tbe committee, Senator Abdul Ningi ( Bauchi Central ) , said disparities of over 50% are not slight but wide and very disturbing and suspicious .

” The disparities in records of PMS importation between NMDPRA and NNPCL in 2022 and 2023 as stated in the NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit report of 2021 to 2023 , are too wide to be described as slight or being looked into without the seriousness required”, he said .

Also miffed by the huge disparities in the records , Senator Dayo Faduyile ( Ondo South ) , said the disparities leave a lot of room for someone to think that something is amis .

Outrightly rejecting the NMDPRA’ s defence , Senator Anietan Bassey ( Akwa Ibom North East ) , said thorough investigation of the wide disparity must be carried out by the committee as according to him, Nigerians must not be allowed to be shortchanged on yearly basis as glaringly shown with the NMDPRA and NNPCL records of PMS importation .

“Mr Chairman and very distinguished colleagues , these questionable records of volume of PMS importation by the two agencies , must be thoroughly investigated to safe Nigerians from being yearly shortchanged and expose those milking the country dry .”, he said .

Consequently , the committee chaired by Senator Hassan Dankwabo ( Gombe North ) , rejected the NMDPRA defence and resolved to call for tripartite meeting of the agencies involved soonest .

“In view of the unacceptability of presentations made by representative of NMDPRA on queries raised against it in the NEITI Oil and Gas Audit report covering 2021 to 2023, specifically on volume of PMS imported within the years under review , this committee resolved to summon heads of NMDPRA , NNPCL and NEITI for reasons behind the wide disparities “, he said .

By Our Correspondent

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, has called for a carefully coordinated and adequately funded national response to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, warning that institutional reforms must not weaken specialised disease-control programmes or compromise their effectiveness.

Abbas made the call Wednesday while declaring open a one-day public hearing on a bill seeking to amend the National Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDS Act, 2004, to expand the agency’s mandate to include tuberculosis and malaria.

The bill, HB. 2523, is being considered by the House Committee on Infectious Diseases and seeks to establish a more coordinated institutional framework for combating the three major infectious diseases in Nigeria.

The Speaker said the proposed amendment raised critical questions about administrative efficiency, resource mobilisation, inter-agency collaboration and accountability, stressing that the ultimate objective must be to improve health outcomes and save lives rather than merely expand an institution’s responsibilities.

He noted that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria have distinct transmission patterns, prevention strategies and treatment requirements, insisting that any integration must preserve the specialised expertise, technical capacity and dedicated resources required to address each disease effectively.

Abbas said the success of the proposed legislation would depend on its ability to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment while ensuring that essential healthcare services reach vulnerable populations, particularly poor households, rural communities, women and children.

He urged stakeholders at the hearing to provide evidence-based recommendations on the agency’s expanded responsibilities, coordination between national and subnational programmes, sustainable financing, retention of specialised personnel and the establishment of clear performance indicators.

He also stressed that legislation alone could not defeat infectious diseases without sustained investment, public awareness, scientific innovation, institutional cooperation and community participation. He reaffirmed the commitment of the 10th House of Representatives to laws and policies capable of delivering tangible benefits to Nigerians.

Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Infectious Diseases, Amobi Godwin Ogah, said the proposed amendment was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s coordination of its response to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria while mobilising sustainable domestic resources and improving accountability.

Ogah said Nigeria faced a significant burden from the three diseases, with about two million people living with HIV, while the country accounted for roughly one-quarter of global malaria cases and approximately 30 per cent of malaria deaths worldwide. He added that Nigeria remained among the countries with the highest tuberculosis burdens.

The committee chairman explained that the bill proposed dedicated offices for each of the three diseases within the agency, alongside a proposed HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Trust Fund to support the manufacture and distribution of medicines, treatment and other interventions. The fund would be managed by a Board of Trustees under the proposed framework.

Ogah, however, emphasised that the reform was not intended to undermine existing institutions or discard the expertise developed by established disease-control programmes. He said the proposed framework must strengthen coordination while protecting technical capacity, disease-specific accountability and the integrity of applicable funding arrangements.

He further noted that pressure on international development financing made it necessary for Nigeria to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation and counterpart funding, urging stakeholders to scrutinise the proposed trust fund’s revenue mechanisms to ensure that they were legally sound, fiscally sustainable and transparent.

Ogah called on participants to approach the hearing with patriotism and open minds, guided by evidence and the public interest, expressing hope that their recommendations would produce credible, implementable legislation capable of strengthening Nigeria’s response to the three diseases.