The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) speaks today with a deep sense of pain, outrage, and national concern over the disturbing events that have unfolded in recent days, events that reflect not only a worsening security crisis but a heartbreaking erosion of empathy, solidarity, and justice in our country.
We unequivocally condemn the shameful and violent disruption of peaceful protesters, including members of the Take-It-Back (TIB) Movement and other civil society organizations, by elements reportedly linked to the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). These were not criminals. These were citizens, young Nigerians, advocates, and concerned voices who gathered peacefully to mourn, to protest, and to demand accountability in the face of unbearable insecurity.
At the heart of this protest lies a tragedy that should shake every conscience, the abduction of students in Oyo State and the horrific killing of a Male Teacher. These are not mere headlines. They are human lives, dreams cut short, families shattered, and a painful reminder that nowhere and no one is truly safe anymore.
It is therefore profoundly distressing that, at a time when the nation ought to unite in grief and demand urgent solutions, those expected to lead the struggle particularly student bodies have instead turned against their own people. This is not just disappointing; it is a betrayal of history, a betrayal of conscience, and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.
The attack on peaceful protesters is not only barbaric; it is inhumane. It is an assault on the very soul of democracy and a cruel attempt to silence voices crying out against suffering, fear, and neglect. It sends a dangerous message that even grief must be suppressed, and that citizens must endure pain in silence.
But Nigerians cannot and must not be silenced.
Across the country, insecurity has become a shared nightmare. From banditry to kidnappings, from the targeting of students to the killing of innocent citizens, the threat is no longer distant, it is immediate, pervasive, and indiscriminate. It does not ask about religion. It does not consider tribe. It does not respect status. It affects us all.
Today it is students. Tomorrow, it is workers. The next day, it could be anyone.
This is why CHSR calls on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and all civil society organizations to rise beyond hesitation and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). This is not a teachers’ struggle. This is not a sectoral issue. This is a national emergency.
We call on them to peacefully mobilize, to lend their voices, and take to the streets in lawful solidarity, not out of defiance, but out of duty to a nation in distress.
Silence at this moment is complicity.
Equally, we cannot ignore the deepening economic hardship that continues to suffocate the average Nigerian. Policies at federal, state, and local government levels have compounded suffering, leaving millions struggling to survive, let alone live with dignity. The same citizens now facing hunger are also forced to live under the constant shadow of fear.
This is an unbearable burden.
CHSR therefore demands:
– An immediate and transparent investigation into the attack on peaceful protesters, with full accountability for all involved.
– The unconditional protection of citizens’ rights to mourn, protest, and express grievances without fear.
– Urgent and sincere government action to address the escalating insecurity across Nigeria.
– A united front by labour unions and civil society to demand justice and protect the Nigerian people.
– Immediate policy redirection to alleviate the crushing socio-economic hardship facing citizens.
Nigeria stands at a painful crossroads. The cries of its people are growing louder, heavier, and more desperate. To ignore them is to risk a deeper fracture, one that may take generations to heal.
We must choose compassion over repression, justice over silence, and unity over betrayal.
CHSR stands firmly with the Nigerian people in their pain, in their struggle, and in their hope for a safer, fairer nation.
Comrade Alex Omotehinse
President (CHSR)
