A coalition of civil society organisations said Thursday that nearly 20,000 people have been killed and more than 12,000 abducted across Nigeria since President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023.
In a joint statement marking the 9th National Day of Mourning themed “Nigerian Lives Matter,” the 52-member coalition said data from massattrocities.org showed at least 1,486 security personnel were also killed during the same period.
The groups, including Global Rights, Budget, the Centre for Social Justice, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and others, said at least 865 students were abducted from schools nationwide since 2023.
They warned that thousands of children remain out of school or displaced, worsening Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.
The coalition also raised concerns over alleged extrajudicial killings and civilian deaths during security operations, including repeated incidents of accidental airstrikes on communities.
It said the figures exclude victims of ordinary crimes such as armed robbery and reflect what it described as the scale of insecurity in a country “that insists it is not at war.”
The groups said Nigerians across all regions continue to face attacks from insurgents, terrorists and kidnappers, while perpetrators operate “with boldness and impunity.”
According to the statement, the persistence of violence reflects governance failures and the weakening value placed on human life.
“Communities are repeatedly attacked despite prior warnings and visible patterns of violence,” the coalition said. “Survivors are often left without justice, rehabilitation, compensation or even acknowledgment from the state.”
The organisations also said insecurity is worsening food inflation as farmers are unable to safely access their farmlands, while schools increasingly operate under fear of attacks.
They criticised what they called a contradiction between the government’s surveillance capabilities and its inability to dismantle kidnapping and ransom networks.
The coalition also accused political leaders of focusing on preparations for the 2027 elections instead of addressing insecurity, saying, “We remind them that corpses do not vote.”
It said the National Day of Mourning was created as a citizen-led initiative to honour victims of mass atrocities and demand accountability from those responsible for protecting lives and property.
The groups called on the federal government to strengthen intelligence gathering, disrupt kidnapping networks, improve school security, and provide humanitarian support for victims and displaced persons.
They also urged better protection for schools, farming communities, women and children, and other vulnerable groups.
“Nigeria cannot continue to gather annually to mourn the dead while failing daily to protect the living,” the coalition said. “Nigerian lives matter.”
