The Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOTiON) has condemned what it described as the brutal suppression of peaceful protesters in Abuja, calling on the Federal Government, judiciary, and security agencies to desist from weaponising citizens’ right to dissent.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and jointly signed by the group’s Convener, Hauwa Mustapha, and Co-Convener, Chris Isiguzo, MOTiON said the violent response to the Free Nnamdi Kanu protest in Abuja represented a grave assault on democratic freedoms and civic expression.
The group alleged that demonstrators exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly were shot at, tear-gassed, chased, and arrested in what it described as “a chilling display of state hostility toward free expression.”
Citing eyewitness accounts and media reports, MOTiON accused security operatives of deploying excessive force instead of safeguarding the rights of Nigerians. “When citizens take to the streets to demand justice, reform, accountability, or welfare, the duty of security agencies is to protect them, not silence them,” the statement said.
The group decried what it called a double standard in state response to protests, noting that while demonstrators advocating better welfare for police officers were treated with respect, those voicing dissent against perceived injustice faced violent repression. “This contrast exposes the dangerous politicisation of the right to protest,” MOTiON stated.
The organisation also urged the courts and the executive to stop framing citizen protests as acts of subversion, warning that such narratives undermine democratic confidence and embolden further repression.
“The judiciary must refuse to rubber-stamp blanket bans on assembly, and the executive must stop treating civic space as a political battleground,” it said.
MOTiON further called on the National Assembly to defend constitutional freedoms by ensuring that:
-
Peaceful assemblies are never again treated as criminal acts;
-
All court injunctions restricting protests are reviewed to prevent misuse under the guise of national security; and
-
Security agencies adopt human-rights-compliant protest management protocols, with the police guaranteeing citizens’ protection during demonstrations.
Expressing solidarity with Nigerians exercising their right to peaceful protest, MOTiON declared, “We will not stay silent while legitimate dissent is criminalised and voices for justice are violently silenced.”
MOTiON described itself as a coalition of democratic and social justice movements, including workers’ groups, women’s organisations, youth and student associations, NGOs, and climate action networks. It said its mission is to unite Nigerians behind collective action against elite capture, corruption, insecurity, and systemic impunity undermining the nation’s democracy.
