The International Human Rights Commission – Relief Fund Trust (IHRC-RFT), Nigeria Chapter, has expressed deep concern over the worsening insecurity in Zamfara State and across the country, calling for urgent moral, spiritual, and collective action to restore peace.

The group’s reaction follows Governor Dauda Lawal’s lamentation that despite intelligence on the movements of bandits, effective action often stalls due to the need for clearance from higher authorities. IHRC-RFT described the situation as both a security and humanitarian crisis that demands immediate response.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday and signed by its Country Director, Ambassador Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu, the commission called on various sectors of society to play their role in confronting insecurity.

It urged faith leaders—both Christian and Muslim clergy—to remind leaders and followers of accountability before God, emphasizing the sanctity of human life. Traditional rulers were asked to stand firm as custodians of conscience and resist any form of collaboration with criminals.

Political leaders, the statement stressed, must remember that “power is a trust and a test from God” and must be exercised with sincerity, responsibility, and fear of divine judgment.

Addressing those involved in banditry and terrorism, the group appealed for reflection and repentance, reminding them that “no wealth, gun, or position can save them from the inevitable reality of death and the hereafter.”

IHRC-RFT also urged the general public to remain steadfast in prayers, supplications, and good deeds, noting that security is a collective responsibility.

The group further appealed to the Federal Government to adopt decisive, people-centered measures that prioritize protection of lives and property, warning that injustice and negligence only emboldens criminal elements.

“The IHRC-RFT Nigeria Chapter stands in solidarity with all victims of violence and calls for a national awakening — a return to God, to conscience, and to humanity,” the statement concluded.

Tackling insecurity requires unity, responsibility – IHRC-RFT