A coalition of Civil Society Organisations has marked the 9th National Day of Mourning with a warning over worsening insecurity in Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to meet its constitutional duty to protect lives and property.
In a joint statement released on Thursday, the groups opened with a direct appeal, “Nigerian lives matter.”
The statement was signed by over 90 organisations, including Amnesty International Nigeria, BudgIT, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Yiaga Africa, and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, among many others.
The group maintained that the annual commemoration, which honours victims of mass atrocities and violent killings, had become a painful reminder of what they described as the state’s continued inability to halt widespread bloodshed across the country.
“The National Day of Mourning is a citizen-led initiative established to accord dignity to victims of mass atrocities and violent killings across Nigeria and to demand accountability from those constitutionally entrusted with the protection of lives and property,” the statement read.
The coalition stated insecurity has deepened nationwide despite constitutional provisions under Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which places responsibility for citizens’ welfare and security on the state.
Citing figures from massatrocities.org, the groups stated that since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, “at least 19,980 people have been killed and at least 12,362 abducted in incidents of mass atrocities and violent attacks across Nigeria,” while “at least 1,486 security personnel” have also died in active duty. They added that “at least 865 students have been abducted from schools across Nigeria since 2023.”
They warned that the figures reflect a broader breakdown of protection systems, saying, “These incidents of violence violate citizens’ right to life and dignity as guaranteed under Sections 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, reducing it to a mere inscription.”
The statement described a pattern of recurring attacks across regions, alleging that perpetrators continue to operate with impunity while communities are left without justice or rehabilitation.
“The persistence of these atrocities reflects deeper governance failures and the dangerous erosion of the value placed on human life,” the coalition said.
They further condemned what they called rising incidents of extrajudicial killings and civilian casualties during security operations, including repeated “accidental airstrikes” on communities, adding that accountability for such incidents remains limited.
The coalition also questioned the effectiveness of national security intelligence systems in curbing kidnappings and ransom networks, stating, “We are disturbed by the contradiction between the state’s demonstrated surveillance capabilities and its apparent inability to disrupt kidnapping and ransom networks operating across the country decisively.”
Criticising the political leadership, the statement noted that the attention had shifted away from the security crisis toward the 2027 general elections.
It warned, “We remind them that corpses do not vote and that the erasure of communities means that those wards cannot record veritable votes. We insist that they acknowledge that the carnages are not normal and are preventable.”
The organisations stated that they stood in solidarity with victims, including grieving families, abductees, displaced persons, traumatised survivors, and security personnel killed in service.
“As we commemorate this year’s National Day of Mourning, we stand in solidarity with grieving families, abductees, survivors living with trauma, internally displaced persons, the hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors struggling to survive, devastated communities, and security personnel killed in the line of duty,” the statement said.
They urged the Federal Government to urgently strengthen security and accountability mechanisms, including by fulfilling its constitutional obligation to protect lives and property, prosecuting perpetrators of mass violence, improving intelligence-led policing, disrupting ransom financing networks, protecting vulnerable communities, and expanding humanitarian support for displaced persons and survivors.
Recall that at least 82 pupils were abducted between May 13 and 15 during separate attacks in Borno and Oyo states.
In Borno State, 42 pupils were kidnapped after armed groups attacked schools in Askira Uba and Chibok Local Government Areas on May 13 and 14.
In Oyo State, another 40 pupils were abducted on May 15 during coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
The Oyo attack also claimed the lives of a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, a motorcyclist and a security operative during rescue efforts.
