Civil society organisations, justice sector representatives and security oversight institutions on Wednesday converged on Owerri, the Imo State capital, to develop strategies for strengthening accountability mechanisms and improving access to justice amid concerns over restrictions on civic freedoms in Southeast Nigeria.
The stakeholders met at a one-day closed-door Accountability Dialogue on Civic Space organised by a consortium comprising the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Virgin Heart Foundation (VHF) and Vivacious Development Initiative (VIDI), with support from the Fund for Global Human Rights through the Action Group on Free Civic Space.
The dialogue formed part of a 12-month project, titled “From Silencing to Accountability: Challenging the Securitisation of Civic Space in Southeast Nigeria”, covering Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi states.
The project seeks to strengthen accountability, improve access to justice and promote a safer and more inclusive civic space across the region.
In her opening address, the Executive Director of Virgin Heart Foundation, Peace Dike, said civic space extends beyond civil society organisations to include the ability of ordinary citizens to express their views, organise peacefully and engage public institutions on issues affecting their communities.
She noted that although Nigeria has laws protecting fundamental rights, concerns have been raised over the arrest and detention of journalists and civic actors, restrictions on peaceful assemblies, intimidation and difficulties in obtaining timely remedies when rights are allegedly violated.
Dike, however, stressed that the discussions were not an argument against security institutions, acknowledging their responsibility to tackle terrorism, kidnapping and other crimes.
She called for security operations to be conducted alongside respect for citizens’ rights.
Dike urged participants to develop practical measures, including improved complaint and referral mechanisms, better access to legal support, responsible documentation of alleged violations and continuous capacity building for security personnel, journalists, lawyers and civic actors.
For her part, the Executive Director of Vivacious Development Initiative, Onyinyechi Joy Nwosu, said the project sought to examine what happens when legitimate civic activities are viewed primarily through a security lens.
She described the dialogue as an opportunity to identify gaps in accountability from arrest and detention through judicial processes and access to remedies, while encouraging participants to develop concrete commitments that would extend beyond the discussions.
Providing context for the dialogue, the Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, acknowledged the severe insecurity affecting the Southeast, including killings, kidnappings, attacks on security personnel and organised violence.
He said the state had a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
Nwanguma, however, argued that activities such as journalism, peaceful protest, human rights advocacy, community organising and public criticism were ordinary features of constitutional democracy and should not automatically be treated as security threats.
According to him, the project builds on RULAAC’s previous interventions documenting the experiences of journalists and activists and now seeks to examine accountability across the entire institutional chain, from arrest and detention to prosecution, remand, bail and judicial oversight.
“The dialogue was intended to move discussions beyond identifying alleged violations towards examining which institutions bear responsibility, what evidence justified official actions, where oversight may have failed and what remedies or consequences should follow where wrongdoing is established,” he said.
In a goodwill message, the Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Police Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said the police, as an agency of government, were governed by the law and that their personnel were bound by the law in the course of their duties.
She acknowledged, however, that there could be “bad eggs”, as in every other sphere of life.
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Chinaka urged citizens to familiarise themselves with established channels for reporting infractions and the provisions of the Constitution guaranteeing their rights to avoid falling victim to any form of suppression.
She said the Abia State Police Command had introduced several reforms in line with directives from the Inspector-General of Police aimed at improving police-civilian relations.
She added that the command was also conducting public awareness campaigns to educate residents about their rights.
In his remarks, Barrister Ikenna Obi, who represented the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Imo State Ministry of Justice, Barrister Gloria Egwuagu, said civil society organisations had an important role to play in ensuring that justice systems functioned effectively.
He called for greater collaboration among stakeholders rather than working in isolation.
A human rights activist, Barrister Chinedu Agu, said the Southeast could no longer continue on a trajectory of rights suppression and shrinking civic space, while commending the organisers for convening the dialogue.
Participants included representatives of the Police Service Commission, Complaint Response Unit, National Human Rights Commission, justice institutions, lawyers, media practitioners, civil society organisations and community groups.
They explored practical ways to strengthen institutional accountability while supporting the legitimate responsibilities of security agencies.
