Kaiama Killings: CDHR Expresses Deep Sadness, Says “Security Is A Right And Not A Privilege”

Kaiama Killings

OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) expresses its profound outrage and unreserved condemnation of the barbaric and gruesome massacre of over 160 innocent Nigerians in the Woro and Nuku communities of Kaiama Local Government Area, Kwara State.

The condemnation is contained in a statement jointly signed by Comrade Debo Adeniran,
National President and Comrade Deacon Jeremiah Onyibe, National Publicity Secretary of CDHR respectively.

In the statement, CDHR noted that this latest orgy of violence, reportedly carried out by extremist elements, is a reflection of the cheapness of human life in Nigeria today.

It noted further that the CDHR is deeply saddened by reports that these defenseless citizens were rounded up, bound, and executed for simply refusing to succumb to the extremist ideologies of their attackers. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the entire people of Kwara State who are currently reeling from this unprecedented tragedy.

Security is a Right, Not a Privilege

Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) explicitly states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” It is not a suggestion; it is a constitutional mandate. Every Nigerian citizen is entitled to the right to life and the right to personal security.

When over 160 citizens can be systematically slaughtered in a single night, despite reported warning signs and previous incursions, it is no longer just a “security breach.” It is a catastrophic failure of the state. The CDHR asserts that the continued inability of the government to forestall these attacks means that the current administration has failed in its most basic promise: to protect the lives of those it governs.

“The government’s primary reason for existence is the protection of its people,” said the CDHR leadership. “Any government that cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens in their own homes and farms has lost the moral and legal authority to demand their loyalty. The blood of the innocents in Woro and Nuku cries out for justice, but more importantly, it cries out against a system that has left them as sitting ducks for terrorists.”

While we acknowledge the recent deployment of an army battalion to the region, we view this as a reactive and “after-the-fact” measure. For months, rural communities in Kwara and neighboring Niger State have signaled the growing presence of these insurgent cells. To wait until a massacre of this magnitude occurs before taking “decisive action” is an indictment of our intelligence and security architecture.

The CDHR  Demands:

Immediate Accountability: An independent inquiry into why intelligence reports (if any) were not acted upon to prevent this massacre.

Comprehensive Protection: The government must go beyond temporary “Operation Savannah Shield” and establish permanent, well-equipped security posts in known flashpoints.

Justice for Victims: The perpetrators must not only be “pushed back” but must be apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Support for Survivors: Immediate humanitarian aid and psychological support for the survivors and displaced persons in Kaiama.

The Nigerian government must wake up to the reality that it is presiding over a funeral parlor. We will no longer accept “condolences” and “vows to bring perpetrators to book” as a substitute for actual safety. Nigerians deserve to live.