HURIWA urges Tinubu, Defence Minister to prioritise rescue operations over political activities

A Distraught father, his wife and their three-month-old baby, reportedly abducted by armed men from their home in Millennium City, Kaduna metropolis, have appealed to the Nigerian government and members of the public to help secure their release.
 
The family of Ahmed Zakka was reportedly seized by armed men identified as terrorists by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA). 
 
HURIWA drew attention to a video said to have been released by the abductors, showing Zakka carrying his infant as he and his distressed wife pleaded for help.

The identities and affiliations of the abductors have not been independently established but HURIWA has urged the authorities to treat the family’s plight as an urgent humanitarian and security concern.
 
In a statement yesterday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the rights group appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), to mobilise security forces to rescue the family.
 
HURIWA also called on the service chiefs, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to coordinate intelligence and joint operations to rescue the victims and other Nigerians reportedly held captive by armed groups.
 
The group said the video showing the father carrying his baby while pleading for help should compel political leaders to place the safety and welfare of citizens above partisan interests.
 
“We are not making this clarion call to publicly call out the Minister of Defence or his counterpart, but as a compassionate appeal to them and the President to immediately activate mechanisms to rescue this innocent baby and his parents, Mr and Mrs Ahmed Zakka, who were abducted by fully armed terrorists from their home in Millennium City, Kaduna metropolis,” the statement said.
 
HURIWA urged Tinubu to relieve Musa and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, of their responsibilities within the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council to enable them to concentrate on addressing the country’s security challenges.
 
The group expressed concern over the reported involvement of the two ministers in the party’s expanded and revised campaign council, saying that their political commitments could distract them from their official responsibilities at a time of persistent insecurity.
 
“How does the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), feel attending the inauguration of the expanded and revised Presidential Campaign Council of the APC when terrorists continue to abduct citizens from his state and other parts of Nigeria?” HURIWA asked.
 
It said that the President should ensure that the defence ministers devote their attention to their official duties while security threats remain acute.
 
The rights group maintained that protecting lives and property was a primary constitutional responsibility of the President and a central duty of the country’s security and defence leadership.
 
HURIWA also criticised the administration over what it described as an inadequate response to the continued abduction of citizens, claiming that more than 2,000 Nigerians were being held captive by terrorists.
 
It said the plight of the Zakka family, particularly the vulnerability of a three-month-old baby in captivity, underscored the need for urgent and coordinated action by security agencies.
 
The group, therefore, called for the safe release of the family and other captives, as well as the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the abductions.
 
HURIWA said the government must demonstrate its commitment to protecting Nigerians by making the rescue of abducted citizens an immediate priority, irrespective of political considerations.
Photo: Couple. Caption: The abducted victim