Nigerian groups demand state of emergency on security

Forty-eight civil society organisations in Nigeria call on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency regarding the country’s security situation.

The coalition held a press conference in Abuja on Monday.

Last week, 43 people were killed in two days of clashes in central Plateau state, while capital Abuja also witnessed a series of kidnappings some days before that.

Auwal Musa who spoke on behalf of the ciivil groups said 2,423 people have been killed in mass atrocities-related incidents while about 1,872 persons have been abducted between May 2023 when President Tinubu assumed office and 26 January this year.

“We are particularly concerned about the upsurge in abductions, noting that at least 230 incidents, in most of which multiple victims were involved, occurred within the first two weeks of January 2024 alone,” he said.

Abuja's police force recently launched a special squad to tackle kidnapping gangs.