June 28, 2026

Cairo / Abuja – The Congress of African Journalists (CAJ) has issued a strongly worded statement condemning the escalating wave of insecurity in Nigeria and calling for immediate measures to protect citizens and uphold constitutional rights.

In a press statement released on June 28, 2026, CAJ expressed grave concern over the growing incidents of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and violent crime across the country, describing the situation as a direct failure of the state’s constitutional responsibility to ensure the security and welfare of its citizens.

The organization highlighted a series of alarming developments across Nigeria’s regions. In the North-West, communities in Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger states continue to endure coordinated attacks by armed groups, including mass abductions and the destruction of villages. According to CAJ, these attacks have displaced farming communities and intensified food insecurity, forcing many rural residents into internally displaced persons’ camps.

In the North-East, despite years of military operations, extremist groups, including Boko Haram and ISWAP affiliates, retain the ability to launch attacks on civilian targets, ambush convoys, and obstruct humanitarian operations. The organization warned that ordinary citizens remain trapped between armed groups and diminishing zones of safety.

CAJ also drew attention to the spread of kidnapping and armed robbery nationwide. Major transport corridors, including the Abuja-Kaduna highway, forest regions in the South-West, and rural roads in the South-East, have increasingly become hotspots for abductions for ransom. Schools, traders, and commuters have emerged as primary targets, creating a pervasive climate of fear that disrupts social and economic activities.

The statement further linked Nigeria’s security challenges to broader regional threats. Referring to the recent record seizure of cocaine in Liberia, CAJ warned that Nigeria’s porous borders and overstretched security infrastructure make it vulnerable to transnational criminal networks, raising concerns that the country could become both a transit and destination hub for organized crime if urgent reforms are not implemented.

The Congress of African Journalists called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to prioritize citizen security through intelligence-led policing, enhanced border protection, and better-equipped security services focused on safeguarding lives and property. The organization also urged security agencies to respect constitutional freedoms, ending practices that intimidate journalists, protesters, and ordinary citizens exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.

Additionally, CAJ appealed for the protection of judicial independence, emphasizing that courts must remain impartial defenders of the Constitution and the rule of law. The organization argued that an independent judiciary is essential in preventing impunity and ensuring justice for victims and whistleblowers.

Reaffirming its commitment to press freedom, CAJ declared that Nigerian journalists would continue to investigate and report on insecurity and governance failures. The organization expressed solidarity with Nigerian citizens, media professionals, and civil society organizations affected by the crisis, stressing that the time for declarations without concrete action has passed and that Nigerians deserve safety, justice, and a government that fulfills its constitutional obligations.