Civil society organisations across Nigeria have condemned the worsening insecurity in the country, accusing the Federal Government of failing in its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
The coalition includes over 100 civil society organizations, among them are Amnesty International Nigeria, BudgIT, Yiaga Africa, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Centre for Democracy and Development, CLEEN Foundation, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Human Rights Network, Social Action, International Press Centre, Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre, Partners West Africa Nigeria, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, and several other civil society organisations working on governance, human rights, security, and accountability across Nigeria.
The groups made the declaration in a joint statement released on Thursday to commemorate the 9th National Day of Mourning, themed “Nigerian Lives Matter.”
According to the organisations, the annual observance was created to honour victims of violent killings and mass atrocities while demanding accountability from leaders entrusted with safeguarding citizens.
The statement noted that insecurity across the country had continued to claim lives despite repeated assurances from the government, stressing that every statistic represented real people whose lives and dreams were cut short.
The coalition said, “Nigeria cannot continue to gather annually to mourn the dead while failing daily to protect the living. We refuse to become desensitised to preventable killings. We insist that Nigerian lives matter and demand justice.”
Nearly 20,000 Killed Since 2023 — CSOs
Citing data from massatrocities.org, the groups disclosed that at least 19,980 people had been killed and 12,362 abducted in violent attacks and mass atrocities since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
They also revealed that 1,486 security personnel had reportedly lost their lives in active duty within the same period.
According to the coalition, the figures expose the severity of Nigeria’s insecurity crisis and raise serious concerns about the country’s safety despite not officially being at war.
The statement added that incidents ranging from insurgency and terrorism to kidnappings, communal clashes and extrajudicial killings continued to spread across different regions of the country.
Food Security, Education Under Threat
The organisations warned that insecurity was worsening food shortages and inflation as many farmers could no longer safely access their farmlands.
They further stated that schools across the country were increasingly under threat, revealing that at least 865 students had been abducted from schools since 2023.
According to the statement, thousands of children had either been displaced or forced out of classrooms, contributing to Nigeria’s growing out-of-school children crisis.
The coalition also expressed concern over what it described as increasing incidents of extrajudicial killings, abuses by security operatives, and civilian casualties during military operations, including repeated reports of accidental airstrikes on communities.
Political Class Accused of Ignoring Citizens’ Suffering
The civil society groups criticised Nigeria’s political leaders for allegedly prioritising political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections instead of addressing insecurity.
The statement read, “We are bothered that rather than passionately fight to end the insecurity that has beset us, Nigeria’s political class is obsessed with permutations for the 2027 elections.”
The organisations insisted that the ongoing violence and killings were preventable and should not be treated as normal occurrences.
Demands to Federal Government
The coalition called on the Federal Government to take urgent and measurable steps to improve security nationwide.
Among other demands, the groups urged authorities to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of terrorism, kidnappings, communal killings, and other violent crimes while ensuring accountability for abuses committed during security operations.
They also demanded stronger intelligence gathering, improved early warning systems, better protection for schools and farming communities, and disruption of kidnapping and ransom networks.
The organisations further called for increased humanitarian assistance, rehabilitation, compensation, and psychosocial support for victims, displaced persons, and affected communities.
Solidarity With Victims
The coalition expressed solidarity with grieving families, abductees, internally displaced persons, traumatised survivors, and security personnel killed in the line of duty.
It stressed that victims of violence should never be reduced to statistics, insisting that their stories and struggles must not disappear into silence.
They also vowed to continue amplifying the voices of victims, concluding with a stark reminder to the administration: “Nigeria cannot continue to gather annually to mourn the dead while failing daily to protect the living. We refuse to become desensitized to preventable killings.”
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