A one-day dialogue session on “Voices Unchained: A Journey Through Civic Space in Southeast Nigeria” held in Awka, Anambra State, highlighted serious concerns about the state of civic freedoms in the region.
The event, convened by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) with support from the Fund for Global Human Rights, brought together stakeholders from civil society, academia, media, legal community, security institutions, and more.
Participants noted with deep concern persistent abuses of free speech and civic expression, including arbitrary arrests, intimidation, torture, and harassment by state and non-state actors.
They also decried police and security high-handedness, misuse of the Cybercrimes Act to stifle online expression, mob justice, judicial weaknesses, and suppression of student voices.
In response, participants resolved to defend constitutional rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association.
They called for accountability from security agencies, judicial reforms, legislative action to review restrictive laws like the Cybercrimes Act, and community engagement to end mob justice.
They also emphasized the need for media freedom, civil society mobilization, and international partnership to support local defenders of civic freedoms.
The dialogue concluded with recommendations for federal and state governments to halt criminalization of dissent, for security agencies to adopt rights-based policing, and for traditional and religious leaders and or institutions, to discourage mob violence.
Participants reaffirmed that civic space is a fundamental constitutional right and a cornerstone of democracy.
