Following renewed deadly attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province in the North-East, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has tasked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently consider stepping aside over what it described as a catastrophic failure of leadership in securing the lives and property of Nigerians.
The human rights group noted that since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, Nigeria has witnessed an alarming escalation in terrorists’ violence, banditry, and communal bloodshed, resulting in mass civilian casualties and repeated humiliation of the nation’s armed forces.
HURIWA particularly expressed concern over the reported killing of Brigadier-General Oseni Braimah and several soldiers during coordinated attacks by insurgents in Borno State, stressing that the development represents a dangerous escalation that exposes deep vulnerabilities within Nigeria’s military architecture.
It noted that the ability of insurgents to allegedly overrun a military base signals a troubling level of penetration and operational boldness by terrorist groups.
HURIWA stated that while the Defence Headquarters claimed the attack was repelled, conflicting field reports suggesting heavy casualties, including a senior commander, point to a widening credibility gap and the urgent need for transparency and accountability in military communications.
Citing data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, HURIWA said that nearly 30,000 Nigerians have been killed in violent incidents across the country since 2023.
HURIWA referenced the Global Terrorism Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace, which showed that terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria surged significantly in the past year, with the country now ranking among the most terrorised nations globally.
It listed a series of major attacks that underscored what it described as the failure of the Tinubu administration’s security strategy.
According to HURIWA; “These include the massacre of about 162 civilians in Kwara State in 2025, the killing of roughly 100 residents in Yelwata, Benue State, and over 1,300 deaths recorded in Plateau State from persistent waves of violence. “The December 2023 drone strike in Kaduna State that claimed the lives of at least 85 civilians, as well as repeated reports that insurgents have overrun multiple military bases in the North-East in recent years.
“These incidents demonstrate not only the increasing lethality of attacks but also the expanding geographical spread of violence across Nigeria, with both rural and urban communities now under constant threat,” it said.
HURIWA further said that the continuous killing of soldiers, including senior-ranking officers, reflects a deeper institutional crisis within the Nigerian military and exposes the inability of the Tinubu-led administration to provide effective leadership and strategic direction in the fight against terrorism.
