Voices Unchained: A Journey Through Civic Space in South-East Nigeria

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), in partnership with the Fund for Global Human Rights through the Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS), convened a landmark one-day dialogue in Awka, Anambra State, titled “Voices Unchained: A Journey Through Civic Space in Southeast Nigeria.”

The dialogue served as a platform for stakeholders to reflect on the state of civic freedoms in the Southeast, highlight persistent challenges, and chart practical pathways for protecting rights to free expression, peaceful assembly, and association in line with Nigeria’s Constitution and international human rights standards.

Speaking on behalf of RULAAC’s Executive Director, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, Programme Officer Mrs. Onyinyechi Nwosu explained that the 2025 Civic Space and Security Project builds on the momentum of last year’s initiative and the impactful documentary “Silenced Gongs.”

Silenced Gongs: The Struggle for Freedom in South- East Nigeria
https://youtu.be/rg0uYC3dlys

“Civic space is not a privilege granted by the state; it is a right protected by law and sustained by the active participation of citizens,” Nwosu said.

She added that the initiative also seeks to connect victims of civic rights violations with trained pro bono lawyers for redress, strengthen alliances to protect human rights defenders, and ensure that democratic space in the Southeast is preserved and expanded.

Keynote Insights

Delivering the keynote, Prof. Jaja Nwanegbo, Director of the Institute for Peace, Security and Development Studies (IPSDS), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, highlighted that the Southeast has historically thrived on vibrant civic engagement—through town hall meetings, campus debates, market-square discussions, worship gatherings, and local media platforms.

He warned, however, that persistent abuses such as arbitrary arrests, intimidation of journalists, misuse of repressive laws, and a culture of impunity threaten this legacy.

“A Southeast where journalists operate out of fear or where public criticism is met with intimidation is a Southeast that risks economic stagnation and social unrest. The path to a vibrant civic space will not be built solely on paper laws but on consistent enforcement and citizens’ courage to claim their voices,” Nwanegbo emphasized.

Barrister Chekwube Ezekwike underscored that while legal frameworks like the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) provide a strong foundation, enforcement remains weak. He stressed the need for rights-based policing, independent judiciary processes, and reforms to ensure laws genuinely serve justice rather than repression.

Issues and Concerns Raised

Participants identified a range of pressing challenges undermining civic space in the Southeast, including:

• Arbitrary arrests, torture, and harassment of journalists, students, and activists.
• Detention in non-designated facilities such as local government secretariats and vigilante offices.
• Misuse of the Cybercrimes Act to stifle online expression.
• Rising cases of mob justice and vigilante abuses, such as extrajudicial killings.
• Weaknesses in the judicial system—slow trials, corruption, denial of bail, and overcrowded custodial centres.
• Suppression of student voices through unelected student union leaders.
• Poor youth participation in governance and silence of political leaders in addressing civic rights violations.

Resolutions and Recommendations

At the close of the dialogue, participants reaffirmed that civic space is a fundamental constitutional right and a cornerstone of democracy. They resolved to work collectively to defend and expand civic freedoms across the region. Key recommendations included:

• Defend constitutional rights: Uphold freedoms of expression, assembly, and association as non-negotiable.
• Demand accountability: End arbitrary arrests, torture, and unlawful detentions; prosecute security agents and vigilantes guilty of abuses.
• Judicial reforms: Enforce bail, speed up trials, and provide pro bono legal aid.
• Review repressive laws: Amend the Cybercrimes Act and other ambiguous laws used to shrink civic space.
• Rights-based policing: Train security agencies in human rights compliance and respect for court orders.
• Community engagement: Involve traditional and religious leaders to discourage mob violence.
• Youth participation: Safeguard democratic student representation in tertiary institutions.

A Call to Action

Representatives from academia, civil society, media, law, women’s groups, youth organisations, and grassroots communities pledged to transform the dialogue’s outcomes into sustained advocacy, legal reform, and community action.

As RULAAC and its partners emphasised, protecting civic space is not the duty of government alone but a collective responsibility. The Southeast must remain a bastion of democratic participation, where citizens’ voices are not silenced but amplified in the pursuit of justice, accountability, and good governance.