The Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) warned Thursday that Nigeria is experiencing a rising wave of alleged extrajudicial killings by security forces, signalling a breakdown in discipline, accountability and respect for life within the country’s security institutions.
In a statement signed by Executive Director Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, CHRICED cited two recent incidents that have heightened concerns. On 26 April 2026, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member was shot inside his father’s compound in Dei‑Dei, Abuja, by personnel attached to a military brigade guard. While authorities described the episode as a cross‑fire incident, eyewitnesses disputed that narrative, and the officer later admitted it was a “mistake.” The group described the death as “a mistake that ended a promising life.”
The second case involved a viral video from Effurun, Delta State, which shows a police officer allegedly firing on a young man over a suspected parcel. CHRICED called the footage “deeply disturbing and unacceptable,” asserting that the killings are not isolated events but part of a broader pattern of abuse by security operatives.
The organisation linked the incidents to earlier episodes of state‑perpetrated violence that sparked the 2020 #EndSARS protests and the 2024 #EndBadGovernance demonstrations, during which Amnesty International reported at least 24 deaths caused by police excesses. CHRICED argued that, despite repeated reform promises, little has changed on the ground and impunity continues to expand.
CHRICED also expressed alarm over a government plan to recruit 50,000 additional police officers, warning that without rigorous vetting and human‑rights training the problem could worsen. The statement stressed that security personnel must not act as investigator, judge and executioner, and that every suspect is entitled to due process. The group cited reports of pressure on victims’ families to withdraw cases or settle privately, insisting that “justice cannot be negotiated, buried or silenced.”
The centre called on the Federal Government to treat all alleged extrajudicial killings as matters of urgent public interest, demanding independent and transparent investigations, prosecution of offenders regardless of rank, and stronger oversight of security agencies. CHRICED reiterated that the sanctity of human life is non‑negotiable and warned that each unlawful killing erodes public trust, weakens democracy and fuels fear and instability.
The organization concluded by urging sustained pressure, transparent justice and genuine institutional reform to break the cycle of violence and uphold democratic and human‑rights standards in Nigeria.
