The #EndBadGovernance Movement and a coalition of civil society organisations on Thursday called for a 48-hour nationwide general strike and mass protests over worsening insecurity across Nigeria, demanding the immediate release of abducted schoolchildren, teachers and other victims of kidnapping.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja ahead of the June 12 Democracy Day celebrations, the coalition accused successive governments of failing to protect lives and property, warning that the country’s security crisis had reached an alarming level.
The group demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted children, teachers and other Nigerians currently held by kidnappers, bandits and terrorist groups in different parts of the country.
Led by Comrade Michael Adaramoye, the group specifically expressed concern over the continued captivity of dozens of pupils and teachers abducted in Oyo State as well as students reportedly held by kidnappers in Borno State, insisting that government must deploy all available resources to secure their freedom.
Beyond the release of abductees, the coalition called for the establishment of democratically elected, multi-ethnic community security committees in every local government, ward and community across the country to complement existing security structures and strengthen grassroots participation in the fight against crime.
The movement also demanded a comprehensive public probe of security votes and other security-related expenditures at both federal and state levels, arguing that billions of naira allocated to security over the years have failed to translate into improved safety for citizens.
According to the coalition, all records relating to security spending should be published, independently audited and subjected to public scrutiny, while officials found to have diverted security funds should be prosecuted.
The group further questioned the effectiveness of the Safe Schools Initiative launched following the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, noting that despite huge investments in school security, attacks on educational institutions and the kidnapping of students continue to occur across the country.
Linking insecurity to worsening economic hardship, the coalition called for the reversal of what it described as anti-poor policies, including measures that have contributed to rising fuel prices, inflation and poverty.
It urged the Federal Government to invest massively in education, healthcare, housing and job creation, arguing that unemployment, poverty and social exclusion have created fertile ground for criminality and recruitment into violent groups.
The coalition also called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and allied organisations to declare a 48-hour nationwide general strike and coordinate peaceful mass protests to compel government action on insecurity and economic hardship.
Announcing plans for a June 12 protest, the group said Nigerians must not remain silent while communities are being attacked, schools shut down and citizens abducted with little consequence for perpetrators.
Among its key demands are the immediate rescue of all abductees, democratic oversight of security spending, the creation of community-based security committees, reversal of anti-poor economic policies, increased funding for education and social services, payment of living wages to workers and stronger protection for vulnerable communities.
The coalition maintained that addressing insecurity would require not only military action but also decisive efforts to tackle poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment, which it identified as major drivers of instability across the country.
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