World Impact Development Foundation (WIDEF) alongside 11 other members of the Action Group on Free Civic Spaces (AGFCS) conducted this research report under the auspices of the Security Playbook Project. This report explores how the security architecture in Nigeria is used to restrict civil society and inhibit active civic participation. It addresses the question: how can states like Nigeria, which face multiple security challenges, protect civic freedoms while combating violent threats such as terrorism and violent extremism?
In the name of addressing insecurity, law enforcement powers have been expanded, numerous security laws have been introduced, and existing laws have been broadened to impose heavier penalties for serious crimes. Physical and digital surveillance has become routine. This expansion of policing powers has led to both intended and unintended consequences, such as increased arrests and detentions, use of deadly force to disperse civil demonstrations, censorship of free speech, internet restrictions, proscription of religious and ethnic groups, and designation of dissenters as terrorist groups. These measures are often justified as necessary for protecting national security.
The report documents numerous cases where the fight against terrorism is used to justify restrictions on civil society, including NGOs, humanitarian organizations, and activists demanding government accountability for human rights violations. It reveals a systematic pattern of excessive governmental power that restricts both traditional and digital spaces for civic engagement in Nigeria.
