As Nigeria commemorates the 33rd anniversary of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election and celebrates 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, a prominent civil society organization has issued a stark warning about the nation’s future. Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to treat the country’s worsening security crisis as a direct threat to democracy, the rule of law, and the overall credibility of the upcoming 2027 general elections.
In a press statement issued by the group’s Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, the organization stressed that no democratic society can truly flourish when its citizens live under the constant shadow of kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, and communal violence. CAPPA argued that the persistent atmosphere of fear directly undermines the core tenets of democratic freedom and national stability.
The Human and Economic Cost of Insecurity
The civil society group lamented the aggressive spread of kidnapping-for-ransom across Nigeria, pointing out that mass abductions particularly those targeting schools and educational institutions pose a grave danger to national growth. Available data highlights a terrifying reality: no fewer than 4,722 people were abducted in 997 kidnapping incidents between July 2024 and June 2025. During this same period, at least 762 people lost their lives in kidnapping-related incidents, while desperate Nigerians paid an estimated N2.57 billion in ransom to kidnappers. CAPPA expressed deep concern over the deliberate targeting of women, children, and young girls, noting that viral social media videos of captives being tortured and humiliated underscore a profound failure of the state’s most fundamental responsibility to protect its people.
“Democracy cannot thrive where people are afraid to travel on highways, send their children to school, cultivate their farms, operate businesses, or participate in elections,” said Zikora Ibeh, CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director. “No Nigerian should have to plead for their life before a camera while criminal groups operate with impunity.”
A Looming Threat to the 2027 General Elections
Beyond the immediate human suffering, CAPPA warned that the persistence of insecurity could significantly suppress voter turnout and participation ahead of the 2027 general elections. The group noted that communities displaced by violence face insurmountable barriers to exercising their franchise, which threatens to skew election results and undermine democratic representation.
“Citizens who fear violence are less likely to engage in civic activities or turn out to vote,” Ibeh stated, adding that a democracy cannot be considered fully representative when large numbers of citizens are effectively excluded by fear. To combat this, CAPPA is urging government authorities to improve regular, compassionate communication with the public to reduce the growing sense of anxiety and abandonment among affected families.
Call for Strategic Reforms and Structural Fixes
To salvage the nation’s democratic path, the organization called for immediate, aggressive investments in intelligence gathering, community policing, and inter-community surveillance systems. CAPPA also demanded stronger collaboration between formal security agencies and local communities, better welfare packages for security personnel, and the swift prosecution of arrested criminal networks to serve as a deterrent.
However, the group emphasized that kinetic military action alone will not solve the crisis. CAPPA urged governments at all levels to aggressively address the root structural conditions driving the violence, including systemic poverty, youth unemployment, corruption, weak institutions, and social exclusion. They concluded that the true promise of June 12 lies in the sovereignty, safety, and dignity of the Nigerian people, which the state must defend with the utmost urgency.
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