By Ishaya Ibrahim
A non-government organisation, Spaces for Change (S4C), has said that the Nigerian civic spaces are witnessing its biggest crackdown in history as a result of the upcoming elections in February.
In a press statement signed by Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, executive secretary of the organisation, the crackdown also affects media houses, civic groups and international rights organisations.
“Between May 2015 and May 2017, S4C tracked 150 incidents of governmental power exercised in ways that considerably repressed human freedoms with particular implications for free speech, association, religions and assembly rights of citizens, groups and organisations.
“Documentation shows that the regular targets of the crackdowns range from journalists to NGO workers, social critics, bloggers and activists challenging official corruption, human rights abuses environmental injustices, and so forth,” the statement said.
A breakdown of the 150 incidences of the crackdown on civic spaces which S4C verified, shows that 56 involved journalists, 21 were on protesters, 13 activists, while critics were eight.
The report also shows that 16 active citizens were not spared, five involving public figures, six members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), six students, four opposition political members, four labour union leaders, five religious leaders, four teachers and two clergies.
S4C also launched a websitewww.closingspaces.org where it detailed all the incidences its team has verified.
Ohaeri said the reason her organisation undertook the research was because Nigeria may soon become a repressed state if people keep quiet over the onslaught currently going on civic spaces.
