The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action to protect communities in Benue, Plateau and Southern Kaduna from persistent attacks by terrorists and bandits.

The group condemned the killings, destruction of homes and farms, and displacement of residents, describing the attacks as a grave threat to national security and the rights of Nigerians.

HURIWA, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, urged the President to stop attributing the violence to grievances or communal disputes, insisting that no political, ethnic or economic grievance could justify the killing and displacement of innocent citizens.

The association expressed particular concern over reports that more than 200,000 residents have been displaced and about 245 communities and villages sacked across Southern Kaduna, including areas in Sanga, Kachia, Kajuru, Chikun and Kauru local government areas.

It said the scale of the displacement required urgent government intervention, stressing that vulnerable communities must not be left at the mercy of armed groups.

“Mr President, you are absolutely wrong to attribute grievances to communities that face unprovoked attacks. When armed men invade communities, kill citizens, destroy property and drive families from their homes, government must confront the perpetrators, not shift attention to the victims,” HURIWA said.

The group demanded the immediate deployment of adequate security personnel to vulnerable communities in the affected states, urging the military, police and intelligence agencies to establish effective security arrangements capable of preventing attacks and protecting farmers.

It also called for coordinated, intelligence-led operations to identify, track, arrest and prosecute those responsible for the attacks.

HURIWA further urged the Federal Government to recover communities taken over or rendered uninhabitable by armed groups and prevent criminals from exploiting mass displacement to occupy the homes, farms and ancestral lands of displaced Nigerians.

The association called for safe, voluntary and dignified returns for displaced persons, alongside support to enable them rebuild their homes, restore their farms and recover their livelihoods.

It also demanded an investigation into repeated security failures, particularly where warnings or credible intelligence were allegedly ignored.

HURIWA said officials found negligent or complicit should be held accountable, stressing that responsibility should not end with the perpetrators of attacks.

“The government cannot allow citizens to become refugees in their own country while terrorists and bandits dictate who can live, farm or remain in particular communities,” the group said.

HURIWA urged Tinubu to protect vulnerable communities, defeat armed groups, recover displaced communities and ensure justice for victims.