The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda for endorsing peace deals with bandits, describing the stance as tantamount to support for terrorists under Nigeria’s counter‑terrorism laws. In a media statement signed by National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA said any approval of talks that shields terrorists from prosecution for crimes against humanity amounts to criminal support for terrorism.
The statement referenced Governor Radda’s recent visit to Batsari and Danmusa local councils, where he said the peace agreements negotiated by communities with bandits were yielding positive results. “We thank God that the peace deal initiative organised by the communities is yielding a very positive result,” the governor was quoted as saying. “I can say that in the last few days, I have not received one single incident in the state from the security forces like I had been receiving.”
HURIWA noted that during the tour the governor’s convoy entered the notorious Danburum forest in Batsari, a former haven for bandits, and that some members of the party collected wild fruits which were later given to the governor and other dignitaries. The rights group said the governor’s remarks and actions suggested a “defensive proposition” that legitimises meetings with terrorists who have declared war on the sovereignty of Nigeria.
The group warned that under the Terrorism (Prevention) Act as amended, including the 2022 amendment, providing material, financial or any other form of support to terrorist groups carries a minimum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, with the death penalty possible if a terrorist act results in death. Attending meetings of proscribed organisations also attracts a minimum 20‑year term.
HURIWA lamented that about 7,000 Nigerian citizens are being held hostage in forests across seven states, predominantly in the North‑West, and called on the federal government to fully enforce the counter‑terrorism law and the recently declared state of security emergency. The organisation cited recent abductions, including the kidnapping of 315 pupils, students and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, of which 265 remain in captivity, and the abduction of a monarch, Oba Ojibara of Bayagan, in Kwara State.
A public analyst, Altine Guyawa, was quoted as saying that “a humanitarian disaster that is worsening by the day” is unfolding, with hundreds of residents of Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna, Kogi and Kano states held in forest camps. In Zamfara, community sources estimate over 6,000 victims are being held in more than 100 terrorist camps.
HURIWA called for immediate, massive counter‑insurgency measures by security forces, urging the intelligence community to place Governor Radda on a watch list of individuals suspected of openly canvassing support for terrorists. The group said Nigerians are “tired of excuses and stories from politicians and the National Security Adviser.”
The statement was issued on Sunday, December 7, 2025, by Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA.
