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Protesters march through Abuja, warn that banditry threatens Nigeria’s democracy and demand accountability from service chiefs and lawmakers.
Hundreds of young Nigerians took to the streets of the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday, staging a peaceful but resolute protest march to the National Assembly to demand immediate, decisive government action against the worsening security crisis across the nation.
Operating under the banner “Nigerians Unite Against Terror,” the demonstrators marched from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to the gates of the National Assembly.
Carrying placards and chanting patriotic songs, the youths lamented the daily loss of lives, mass kidnappings, and the economic paralysis caused by unchecked banditry and terrorism.
The demonstration highlights growing public frustration over the country’s security architecture, with organizers warning that the crisis has escalated beyond a mere law enforcement issue to a fundamental threat to Nigeria’s corporate existence and democratic stability.
Addressing journalists at the National Assembly gates, the convener of the rally, Isah Abubakar, emphasized that the security challenges plaguing the nation transcend political, religious, and ethnic divides. He noted that bandits do not audit the political affiliations or religious beliefs of their victims before striking.
“There are major highways in this country where, once it is 5:00 PM, nobody dares to travel,” Abubakar said.
“The citizens who are trapped, kidnapped, or killed on these roads are not just members of the APC, PDP, ADC, NDC, or PRP—they are Nigerians. The bandits are completely non-selective. They do not care about your religion, your tribe, your political party, or your traditions. This is a collective tragedy affecting us all.”
Abubakar argued that the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the people, asserting that citizens have a constitutional right—and a moral duty—to demand accountability from their leaders.
“It is our responsibility as citizens to look at those charged with protecting lives and property and tell them that enough is enough,” he continued.
“It is time to deliver real security. We need to protect our children and stop our women from being subjected to horrific assaults in their homes and farms. We cannot continue to yield our forests and rural communities to criminal elements who have absolutely no value for human life. We demand proactiveness and absolute sincerity of purpose from our leaders.”
Also speaking at the rally, co-convener Austin Okhai made a direct appeal to Nigeria’s retired military and intelligence elite. He urged former service chiefs, retired directors of the Department of State Services (DSS), former Inspectors-General of Police (IGP), and retired leaders of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to break their silence and offer practical solutions to the current administration.
“We are calling on our former military and security leaders to step forward and collaborate. We must secure the country first before we can talk about politics,”Okai said.
Okai warned that if the security situation continues to deteriorate, it will eventually derail the nation’s democratic processes. He pointed out that political participation is impossible in an atmosphere of pervasive fear.
“No political party can successfully hold a rally or mobilize voters if the people they are gathering cannot return to their homes safely,” he argued. “This is why the supporters of all political leanings—whether they are APC, PDP, NDC, ‘Obidients,’ ‘Atikulates,’ or ‘Kwankwasiyas’—must find a common voice to speak out against terror.”
To underscore the non-partisan nature of the threat, Okai pointed to the recent abduction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in Kebbi State. “Even in a state controlled by the ruling party, the state party chairman is currently in the hands of bandits. This proves that no one is safe. It is a disservice to the nation that our highly experienced former security chiefs remain quiet while the country burns.”
The protesters also laid responsibility at the feet of the federal lawmakers, urging the National Assembly to utilize its oversight powers to hold the military and police hierarchies accountable for the trillions of Naira budgeted for security.
“The National Assembly has a constitutional mandate to demand strict accountability. That is the essence of democratic checks and balances,”Okai stated.
However, he also acknowledged the role of citizens in aiding security agencies, warning against shielding criminals. “Collaboration is a two-way street. If security agents come to a community to apprehend a suspect and the locals hide the culprit, we cannot expect magic.”
Turning to the ongoing national debate regarding the creation of state police and forest guards,Okai cautioned that decentralizing security forces without proper funding and equipment would be counterproductive.
“The only leverage these bandits have over our communities is their weaponry. If we create state police or forest guards but fail to train and arm them properly, we are sending them to their deaths,” he warned, citing a recent incident in Kwara State. “We saw what happened when bandits easily disarmed local forest guards and stole their operational motorcycles because the guards were outgunned.
“If we are going to establish state police and forest guards, there must be rigorous training, standardized modern weaponry, and seamless synergy with federal security agencies. Our voices will not be silenced until we see these concrete reforms implemented,” Okai concluded.
The demonstration ended peacefully after representatives of the National Assembly received the protesters’ petition, promising to table their demands before the leadership of both chambers.
