Falana, CSOs Declare Nationwide June 12 Protest Over Insecurity, Hardship

A coalition of civil society organisations, labour activists, youth groups, community associations and concerned Nigerians has declared June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, a day of nationwide protest and mass action against worsening insecurity, widespread hunger and deepening economic hardship across the country.

The coalition, which includes prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), musician and activist Falz (Folarin Falana), the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), the Joint Action Front (JAF), the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) and several other groups, accused the Federal Government of failing to address the security and economic challenges confronting millions of Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 10, the coalition said there was little for ordinary Nigerians to celebrate on Democracy Day as many citizens continued to grapple with insecurity, poverty, inflation and declining living standards.

“The Nigerian people deserve a pro-people government that places the protection of lives and property at the core of governance,” the coalition said.

According to the groups, communities across the country remain under constant threat from terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements who continue to operate with impunity despite repeated assurances from government authorities that insecurity is being tackled.

The coalition expressed solidarity with families who have lost loved ones to terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, and called for immediate government action to secure the release of Nigerians currently being held captive by criminal groups in various parts of the country.

The statement specifically mentioned victims of abductions in Oyo, Borno, Katsina, Kwara, Ekiti, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states, as well as other parts of the federation affected by kidnapping and related crimes.

Beyond the security situation, the coalition accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of implementing economic policies that have worsened the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians. The groups argued that the removal of fuel subsidy, repeated increases in fuel prices, currency devaluation, rising electricity tariffs and the commercialisation of essential services had pushed millions of Nigerians deeper into poverty.

They noted that several communities had been repeatedly attacked, schools remained under threat, farmers were unable to safely access their farmlands and many highways across the country had become increasingly unsafe.

Countless families, the groups said, continue to live with the trauma of losing loved ones or having relatives held captive by criminal gangs. The protest is scheduled to hold on June 12, 2026, across major cities and communities nationwide.

Sources: THISDAYLIVE, Punch Newspapers, Vanguard News