The group called on both national and international stakeholders to act swiftly to safeguard democracy and human rights in the country.

The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) has expressed grave concerns over what it described as Nigeria’s shrinking civic space.

The group called on both national and international stakeholders to act swiftly to safeguard democracy and human rights in the country.

In a statement issued on Monday to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2020 Lekki Toll Gate shootings during the #EndSARS protests, FENRAD’s Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, said Nigeria is facing a “disturbing trend of repression, intolerance of dissent, and constitutional violations” that threaten the nation’s democratic foundations.

Nwafor recalled that the End SARS movement, a youth-led protest against police brutality and extrajudicial killings by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), was a historic turning point for civic activism in Nigeria.

He lamented that the protests, despite being largely peaceful, were violently suppressed by security forces, culminating in the October 20, 2020, Lekki Toll Gate shootings in Lagos.

“The Lekki massacre remains a haunting reminder of the Nigerian state’s unwillingness to listen to its youth,” Nwafor said.

“Instead of engaging protesters, the government chose to silence them through force.”

The group also condemned what it called the government’s “judicial defiance” in the ongoing detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), despite multiple court orders granting him release.

FENRAD warned that the refusal to obey court rulings not only undermines judicial independence but also fuels public discontent.

“The refusal to comply with court rulings on Kanu’s case sets a dangerous precedent and undermines judicial independence,” Nwafor stated.

“Labeling peaceful protesters as threats to national unity erodes democratic principles and fuels further discontent.”

According to FENRAD, these developments reflect a broader pattern of state repression and intolerance of civic participation.

The group cited several examples, including “Surveillance and arbitrary arrests of journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society leaders; crackdowns on protests and civic groups, especially those critical of government actions; the 2021 Twitter ban, perceived as a move to stifle digital mobilisation, and judicial harassment, travel bans, and asset freezes targeting dissenting voices.”

“This is not just about End SARS or IPOB,” Nwafor said. “It’s about every Nigerian’s right to speak, assemble, and demand accountability. We are witnessing the criminalisation of civic engagement.”

FENRAD warned that Nigeria’s democracy cannot thrive in an environment where “fear replaces freedom.”

The organisation said the government’s intolerance of peaceful dissent risks alienating the youth and encouraging radicalisation in place of reform.

“When people are silenced instead of heard, democracy suffers,” the statement read. “Nigeria cannot afford to keep walking this dangerous path.”

The group called for urgent reforms to restore trust between the government and citizens.

FENRAD recommended “Comprehensive police and judicial reforms, including implementation of the promises made after the End SARS protests, and respect for judicial authority, including immediate compliance with court rulings regarding Nnamdi Kanu’s case.”

It also recommended “Protection of peaceful protests, civil society groups, and journalists from harassment and persecution; an inclusive national dialogue addressing deep-rooted ethnic, social, and political grievances, and accountability and transparency in the conduct of security forces and public institutions.”

FENRAD emphasized that the strength of any democracy lies in its capacity to tolerate and engage with dissenting voices.

“Nigeria’s future lies in openness, justice, and human rights, not in intimidation and silencing,” Nwafor said.

“We call on all democratic actors, civil society, the judiciary, the legislature, and the international community, to speak out and act in defence of Nigeria’s civic space.”