In this post, we digest some top stories that make up the front pages of major Nigerian newspapers on Wednesday, 18 December, 2024, and provide key advocacy asks.
614,937 Nigerians killed, 2.2 million abducted in 1 yr – NBS – Daily Trust
No fewer than 614,937 Nigerians were killed and 2,235,954 others kidnapped across the country between May 2023 and April 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed.
The alarming statistics from the NBS highlight the urgent need for collective action to address the worsening security crisis in Nigeria. We call on the President Bola Tinubu government to prioritise the safety of citizens by strengthening security frameworks, ensuring accountability within security agencies, and increasing investment in intelligence.
YULETIDE: Security agents make highways hell for us – Travellers – Vanguard
As the holiday season sets in, the usual extortion and inconveniences caused motorists and passengers on the highway are at their peak. Many holidaymakers end up being extorted and even detained or their vehicles seized at the slightest whimper by security agents on the nation’s highways.
We call on heads of all security agencies to address the rampant extortion and harassment by security agencies on highway by enforcing strict accountability measures, while citizens must report cases of misconduct to ensure that those responsible are held to account.
Report indicts police, military, others as prime antagonists of media in Nigeria – The Guardian
A report released yesterday by the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) revealed that security agencies, including the police, military, and intelligence services, have consistently been the primary antagonists of the media in Nigeria in recent years, accounting for the highest number of attacks on journalists in 2024.
The persistent attacks on journalists by security agencies underscore an urgent need for the President Bola Tinubu-led government to uphold press freedom by holding perpetrators accountable and enforcing laws that protect media practitioners.
