The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria has demanded immediate investigation and prosecution of officers allegedly responsible for the killing of more than 30 citizens in Niger State.
The group, in a statement by its National President, Abubaksr Isah, also demanded compensation for the victims’ families and a comprehensive overhaul of the justice and security systems, describing the incident as a dangerous example of alleged impunity by a state security agency.
The NYCN expressed concern over what it described as the “atrocious killing of over 30 innocent citizens in Niger State”.
It said the loss of more than 30 lives, including sons, daughters, fathers and mothers, allegedly under the watch or direct action of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, could not be treated lightly.
The group described the alleged incident as “a dangerous testament to state-sanctioned lawlessness”.
Isah said human lives must not become targets for those entrusted with protecting citizens.
“The fundamental human rights of every Nigerian, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and international conventions, must be strictly respected and upheld,” he said.
The youths demanded that the Niger State Government and the leadership of the NSCDC immediately establish a comprehensive and transparent compensation framework.
They called for financial, social and psychological reparations to be paid directly to the families of all affected victims.
The group also demanded that the officers allegedly responsible for the killings be identified, arrested and prosecuted.
“The officers responsible for this bloodbath must be unmasked, stripped of their uniforms, arrested, and publicly prosecuted,” the statement said.
The NYCN further called for structural reforms of Nigeria’s justice and security systems.
It argued that unarmed citizens should not become targets of security agencies in a country already battling armed banditry and other criminal activities.
Isah also appealed to the President of the Nigerian Bar Association to mobilise the organisation’s legal machinery in support of the victims and their families.
He urged the NBA to take up the case pro bono, pursue independent judicial inquiries and ensure that justice was served.
The youth group also called on international human rights organisations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, to document and condemn what it described as an “inhumane act”.
It said international attention should be focused on Niger State and Nigeria over the incident.
“We cannot continue on this trajectory as a nation where state agencies act with absolute impunity while citizens live in constant terror from both non-state actors and state forces alike,” the statement said.
The group added that the alleged killings demanded more than official statements, calling for arrests, accountability and institutional reforms.
“Where else on earth would a security agency kill over 30 individuals in a single event without immediate, sweeping ministerial resignations, arrests, and institutional reforms?” it asked.
“The culture of silence and passive press releases ends today.”
