By George Mgbeleke<\/p>\n
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned in the strongest terms the fresh wave of deadly attacks on communities in Plateau State, describing the killings, arson and displacement of innocent citizens as a dangerous escalation that demands immediate and decisive intervention from the Federal Government.
\nHURIWA is particularly alarmed by the latest attacks on Gwa-Wereng Rim, Kyeng Village in Bachi District, Dorong and Jol, where at least two persons were reportedly killed, another seriously injured and houses set ablaze.
\nThe rights group said the latest violence represents yet another grim reminder that rural communities in Plateau State remain dangerously exposed to armed attacks, despite repeated assurances from government and security agencies.
\nHURIWA therefore calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang to move beyond expressions of sympathy and take concrete measures to end the cycle of killings, destruction and displacement in the affected communities.
\nThe organisation said government must demonstrate that the lives of citizens in remote communities are worth the same protection accorded residents of urban centres.
\n\u2018Government cannot continue to count corpses\u2019
\nHURIWA said it was unacceptable for Nigerians to wake up repeatedly to reports of communities being invaded, residents killed and homes destroyed, only for government officials to issue condolences after the damage has been done.
\nThe organisation said the reported killing of Bulus Mwagwong, popularly known as Dikko, and 47-year-old Stephen Dachollom Kaze, alongside the serious injury sustained by Yakubu, must not become another entry in an endless catalogue of unresolved killings.
\nAt Gwa-Wereng Rim, attackers reportedly opened fire on residents at about 9:30 p.m., while another attack in Dorong reportedly resulted in houses being set ablaze and residents fleeing for safety.
\nIn Jol Village, armed attackers reportedly exchanged gunfire with local vigilantes, further heightening fears among residents.
\nHURIWA said these developments expose the vulnerability of communities that are already struggling to protect their homes, farms and livelihoods from recurring attacks.
\n\u2018This is not a statistics game; these are human lives\u2019
\nThe group warned that the persistent attacks were creating a climate of fear in which farmers could no longer safely access their farmlands and families were being forced to abandon ancestral communities.
\nHURIWA said the Federal Government must urgently deploy adequate security personnel to vulnerable communities, establish effective early-warning mechanisms and strengthen intelligence gathering to prevent attacks before they occur.
\nIt also demanded a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the latest attacks and the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
\n\u201cGovernment must stop treating the killing of rural Nigerians as routine security incidents. Every victim has a family, a community and a future. The continued failure to prevent these attacks is unacceptable,\u201d HURIWA said.
\nFG must confront perpetrators, protect displaced families
\nHURIWA also called for urgent humanitarian intervention for families whose homes and property were destroyed.
\nIt urged the Plateau State Government and relevant federal agencies to provide temporary shelter, food, medical assistance and other essential support to displaced victims while ensuring that destroyed communities are made safe for residents to return.
\nThe organisation further demanded sustained security deployment in vulnerable areas rather than temporary reinforcement only after attacks have occurred.
\nHURIWA said security agencies must also investigate the wider pattern of attacks against farming communities and determine whether the latest incidents are connected to previous attacks in the area.
\n\u201cWe cannot continue with the familiar cycle of attack, killing, condemnation, promises of investigation and eventual silence. That cycle must end,\u201d the organisation declared.
\nTinubu must act before the crisis deepens
\nHURIWA urged President Tinubu to personally direct the security and intelligence agencies to develop a coordinated strategy for protecting vulnerable communities in Plateau State and other conflict-prone areas.
\nIt also called on Governor Mutfwang to intensify collaboration with traditional rulers, community leaders and security agencies to strengthen local intelligence and community protection mechanisms.
\nAccording to the rights group, the protection of citizens is a fundamental responsibility of government and cannot be compromised by political considerations, bureaucratic delays or jurisdictional disputes.
\nHURIWA commiserated with the families of those killed and urged authorities to ensure that the injured receive adequate medical attention.
\nThe organisation warned that every additional attack without decisive consequences for perpetrators risks emboldening criminal elements and deepening public distrust in government.
\n\u201cPlateau State cannot be allowed to become a theatre of perpetual bloodshed. Nigerians are tired of condolences. They want protection, justice and accountability.
\n\u201cThe President and the Governor must act now \u2014 not after the next community is attacked, not after more families bury their loved ones, but now.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By George Mgbeleke The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned in the strongest terms the fresh wave of deadly attacks on communities in Plateau State, describing the killings, arson and displacement of innocent citizens as a dangerous escalation that demands immediate and decisive intervention from the Federal Government. HURIWA is particularly alarmed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16595"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16596,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16595\/revisions\/16596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}