The YRC accused the government of weaponising the Cybercrime Act to silence critics, journalists and activists.
The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) has urged Nigerians to turn out en masse for the nationwide protest scheduled for December 10 to commemorate the 2025 World Human Rights Day.
The group warned that Nigeria is “on the brink” due to what it described as escalating repression and violations of fundamental rights under the Tinubu administration.
The protest is being organised by the #EndBadGovernance Movement and is expected to hold across major cities nationwide.
In a statement by its National Secretary, Francis Nwapa, the YRC said the mass action provides an opportunity for citizens to demand accountability, respect for democratic freedoms and an end to anti-poor policies.
“Nigeria consistently ranks low in global human rights and development rankings,” the group said, referencing the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index, where Nigeria stands at 157th out of 189 countries, and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) report listing Nigeria among the worst countries for workers.
“Under the Tinubu/APC regime, the attacks on rights to protest and dissent have been unabated. Nigerians have been stripped of every human dignity.”
The YRC accused the government of weaponising the Cybercrime Act to silence critics, journalists and activists.
“Rather than strengthening human rights, Nigeria introduced a Cybercrime Act targeting critics of government and ordinary people,” it said, adding that arrests and detentions of citizens for holding leaders accountable have become routine.
The group said that its major focus for the World Human Rights Day campaign is the demand for the immediate termination of treason and terrorism charges filed against 11 #EndBadGovernance protesters, including Adaramoye Michael Lenin.
The protesters, arrested in 2024 for protesting against hunger and harsh economic conditions, reportedly spent 59 days in police and prison custody.
According to the YRC, the Nigerian government has made little progress in the case, filed on September 2, 2024, and is “deliberately delaying the trial to ensure that these activists continue to have the charges of treason and terrorism wrapped around their necks.”
“This treason trial must be quashed, bank accounts of the activists unfrozen, and their properties returned,” the statement read.
YRC noted that the next adjourned date, December 10, coincides with World Human Rights Day, urging both local and international organisations marking the day to demand an end to the “sham treason trial.”
The group also raised concerns about several ongoing cases of state persecution of activists, workers and journalists.
Among them are: Abiodun Bamigboye, Oyo State Coordinator of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, over the struggle of casual workers at Sumal, Ibadan.
Others are five ASUU leaders at Lagos State University, sanctioned for demanding ethical university governance; three student activists at the University of Ibadan, targeted for protesting against “outrageous” school fees.
The group said these cases show a growing intolerance for dissent across all levels of government.
The YRC further condemned what it described as illegal and inhumane demolitions of poor communities across Nigeria, alleging that many such actions were carried out to dispossess vulnerable residents of their lands for the benefit of wealthy real estate developers.
“Housing is a human right,” the group stated. “Instead of ensuring access to affordable and decent homes, the government has continued to render many Nigerians homeless. These attacks must be resisted.”
The group also called on trade unions to intensify the struggle against casualisation and for better working conditions nationwide.
It insisted that respect for the right to unionise and access to decent jobs remains central to promoting human dignity.
For the YRC, the December 10 protest represents more than a symbolic display of resistance.
It is, the group said, a crucial step toward building a united front of workers, students, youth and the poor against what it termed the “tyranny of the Tinubu government” and decades of misrule by “the pro-capitalist ruling class.”
“We call on all Nigerians to come out en masse to join the protest on December 10 to demand that the government respect the rights and dignity of Nigerians and end all anti-poor policies,” the group said.