Monday’s heavy security presence across Abuja during a peaceful protest demanding the release of detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has drawn sharp condemnation from the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and other civil groups.
Residents of the Federal Capital Territory woke up to what many described as a “security siege,” as soldiers, police patrol teams, and armored vehicles were stationed at major routes, preventing movement around key locations such as the Unity Fountain, Eagle Square, and the Central Business District.
The tense atmosphere brought commercial and social activities to a halt. Banks and petrol stations closed operations, traffic was disrupted, and commuters were stranded for hours amid the massive deployment of security personnel.
While authorities justified the action as a preventive measure against possible breakdown of law and order, critics saw it as excessive and undemocratic.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) described the clampdown as “a shameful descent into militarized governance.”
“It is laughable and tragic that an entire capital city was locked down because young Nigerians wanted to march peacefully for justice,” the group said. “Only leaders with guilty consciences fear the sight of their citizens demanding accountability.”
The association said the use of force against unarmed protesters was unconstitutional and unnecessary, accusing both the Nigerian Army and Police of “paranoid conduct” and “insanity in uniform.” It alleged that live bullets and tear gas were fired at harmless demonstrators, calling for the immediate release of all those arrested.
HURIWA also faulted the U.S. Embassy’s security advisory which warned Americans to avoid protest venues, describing it as “a foreign-triggered panic message” that the Nigerian government used to justify its military show of force.
“Did Nigerians threaten the U.S. Embassy? That advisory was irrelevant,” the group said. “It was used as a convenient excuse to militarize Abuja and intimidate citizens.”
The rights organization warned that continued intolerance of peaceful assembly could inflame tensions and erode public trust in democratic institutions.
“When a government turns its capital into a war zone over peaceful citizens, it exposes its own insecurity,” HURIWA said. “Nigeria is not a barracks; it is supposed to be a democracy.”
It urged the Federal Government to halt the use of soldiers for crowd control, compensate affected businesses, and allow independent human rights investigations into the incident.
“No government that silences its people can claim to be democratic,” HURIWA concluded.