By Abigail David

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) have called for a broader, whole-of-society approach to tackling terrorism, banditry and insecurity in Northern Nigeria.

The groups made the call at the Northern Nigeria Strategic Conference on Human Rights and Counterterrorism in Abuja on Tuesday.

Speaking at the conference, CDHR National President, Yinka Folarin, said military and security operations alone could not address Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

Folarin said the social, economic and ideological factors driving terrorism and violent extremism must also be tackled to achieve lasting security.

He called for stronger collaboration among governments, security and intelligence agencies, civil society organisations, traditional and religious institutions, development partners, the private sector and local communities.

According to him, human rights and national security should be treated as complementary rather than competing interests.

Folarin urged participants to develop practical and evidence-based recommendations that would strengthen counter-terrorism efforts while protecting fundamental human rights.

Also speaking, PCRC National Chairman, Mogaji Olaniyan, urged Nigerians to support security personnel and recognise the risks they face while protecting lives and property.

He called for improved cooperation between communities and security agencies, particularly in areas where insecurity has weakened public trust.

Olaniyan also encouraged residents to support lawful security operations and report suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations on Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance in Nigeria has demanded an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into the alleged forceful eviction of occupants of Treasure Suites, located at Plot 66, 1st Avenue, off Shehu Shagari Way, Central Business District, Abuja.

The Coalition, who made the demand at a World Press Conference in Abuja, yesterday, declared that the incident had raised serious concerns over the rule of law, due process and protection of property rights.

The Coalition, led by its National Coordinator Timothy Ihemadu,
explained that documents presented and testimonies made available to it contained serious allegations concerning the manner in which occupants were allegedly evicted from the premises.

They however called for an investigation to establish who authorized the operation, the legal authority relied upon, whether a court order existed to the effect and if so, who authorized the order.

The group also demanded clarification over the alleged involvement of security and law-enforcement personnels in the operation urging the Inspector-General of Police, other concerned authorities to establish the identities of the officers involved and the legal authority under which they acted.

The Coalition stressed that law-enforcement agencies should uphold the law and protect citizens rights rather than determine property disputes outside established legal processes.

The civil society organisation further stressed that any loss or destruction incurred during the forceful eviction been personal or business property of affected occupants will be properly documented and investigated.

It said that where loss or damage is established and liability determined, appropriate restitution, compensation or other remedies should follow in accordance with the law.

The Coalition also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that federal institutions saddled with the responsibility on human rights protection wades into the investigation and bring perpetrators to face the full wrath of the law.

“We want President Tinubu’s led-administration to handle this matter professionally, impartially without political interference. Nigeria’s efforts to attract domestic and foreign investment to strengthen democratic institutions depended on respect for property rights, contractual obligations, due process and the integrity of institutions responsible for administering justice.

The Coalition, said it would continue to monitor developments and pursue peaceful and constitutional means of advocacy calling on all parties to submit their claims to the appropriate judicial and administrative processes, urging authorities to investigate the allegations, establish the truth and protect affected persons.

A financial expert, James Ayati, has questioned the Benue State Government’s decision to obtain an N11 billion commercial loan for infrastructure projects despite a reported N55.92 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of June 2026.

Ayati raised questions over the state’s financial position under Governor Hyacinth Alia, particularly against the backdrop of increased government revenue and a reported decline in the state’s domestic debt.

In an analysis, Ayati asked whether Benue was financially constrained despite the state government’s own financial reports indicating that significant funds remained unspent as of June 2026.

He also questioned why the administration opted to borrow N11 billion instead of deploying part of the reported N55.92 billion available for capital expenditure.

Ayati further queried why additional debt was being placed on Benue taxpayers if the state had sufficient funds to finance infrastructure projects.

He said the questions became more significant because, according to his analysis, the N11 billion loan was obtained with a cash-backed collateral of N54 billion in a government account that remained unused.

According to Ayati, the Alia administration owes the people of Benue an explanation for borrowing N11 billion from a commercial bank for infrastructure when the state’s financial reports showed N55.92 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of June 2026.

He said his analysis was based on figures contained in financial reports published by the Benue State Government.

Ayati noted that at the end of the 2025 financial year, Benue State had N44.74 billion in unspent capital receipts, citing the Benue State 2025 Audited Financial Statement.

He said the state’s financial position changed further in the first quarter of 2026.

According to the Benue State Budget Implementation Report (BIR) for Q1 2026, the state recorded N128.17 billion in earned revenue between January and March 2026, while total expenditure stood at N82.28 billion.

Ayati said the figures left N45.89 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of March 2026.

He further cited the Benue State BIR for Q2 2026, which he said showed that the state earned another N94.26 billion in statutory revenue between April and June 2026.

According to his calculation, when the N45.89 billion balance carried forward from Q1 was added to the revenue recorded in Q2, the reported capital receipts available amounted to N140.15 billion.

He said the state recorded N84.23 billion in actual expenditure during the second quarter, leaving N55.92 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of June 2026.

Ayati said the figures raised broader questions about the state’s financial planning and debt management, particularly as Benue’s revenue has reportedly increased substantially in recent years.

He noted that the state’s annual actual revenue rose from about N100 billion in 2022 to approximately N148 billion in 2023, N328 billion in 2024 and N443 billion in 2025.

At the same time, he said Benue’s domestic debt reportedly declined by nearly 40 per cent, from about N188 billion in the first quarter of 2023 to N113 billion, citing reports from the State Debt Management Office.

Ayati further claimed that since 2023, the state had paid about 15 per cent of its actual total revenue towards debt servicing, amounting to approximately N171 billion.

Against that background, he questioned why the state needed to contract another N11 billion commercial loan for infrastructure despite its reported increase in revenue and reduction in domestic debt.

He described the issue as one of financial planning, cash management and value for money rather than simply whether the state had money available on paper.

“If the state had N55.92 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of June 2026, why was an additional N11 billion commercial loan needed for infrastructure — an amount equivalent to only about one-fifth of the reported unspent balance?” Ayati asked.

He also questioned whether the existing funds could have been deployed before resorting to commercial borrowing and whether there were legal, contractual or other restrictions preventing the use of the reported funds.

“If the N55.92 billion was genuinely available for capital spending, why borrow at a cost to taxpayers when significant funds remained unspent?” he asked.

Ayati stressed that the questions were legitimate for any government entrusted with the management of public resources.

“The figures come from the government’s own financial reports. The issue, therefore, is not whether Benue has money on paper,” he concluded.