The Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development(FENRAD) in collaboration with the Action Group on Free Civic Space(AGFCS) & Office of the Senior Special Assistant to Abia State Governor on HOMELAND SECURITY holds a Day Regional Multi stakeholders Dialogue/ Town Hall meeting on civil-military relations for Peace & Security in the Southeast
The event aimed to address the issue of the shrinking civic space in Nigeria and the role of various actors, including security agencies, in protecting citizens’ rights.
Recall that since 1999, there have been numerous cases of abuse of citizens’ rights by state actors, particularly security agencies. The decline in Nigeria’s civic space has been increasingly evident, with documented incidents of curtailed freedom of expression, attacks on associations, and limitations on speech. This reflects the conflicting interests between political actors seeking more power and citizens demanding greater spaces for expression and influence.
The Action Group on Free Civic Space in Nigeria’s Southeast conducted a research study in 2021, resulting in the publication of a Security Playbook. The study focused on the shrinking civic space in the southeast of Nigeria and examined the country’s rising securitization. It explored various contemporary themes, including the #EndSARS protests, self-determination movements (such as the EbubeAgu outfit), activities of unknown gunmen, and the indigenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB) declaring Ghost Monday in the southeast due to the continued detention of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
With the support of Funds for Global Human Rights, FENRAD in collaboration with the Development Action Group on Free Civic Space organized this dialogue to Identify the roles played by different civic actors and security agencies in the shrinking civic space and Set up a mechanism for engagement and collaboration in the southeast zone to enhance security and protect citizens’ interests.
Meanwhile, the 2nd Stakeholders Dialogue organized by FENRAD in Umuahia, Abia State, sought to address the critical issue of the shrinking civic space in Nigeria. By bringing together various stakeholders, including civic actors and security agencies, the event aimed to foster engagement and collaboration, ultimately creating a functional state structure that balances the interests of political actors and protects the rights of marginalized citizens.