Protesters in their numbers trooped out in Lagos State to mark the June 12 Democracy Day with demonstrations.
Led by human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, alongside his son and Afrobeats star, Folarin, popularly known as Falz, the protesters marched from Ikeja Bridge to Ojota and rounded off at Maryland.
They held placards bearing inscriptions such as “Free the captives,” “End insecurity and kidnapping,” and “No democracy without security,” among others.
Other leaders of the protest included members of the Take It Back Movement, led by Ayoyinka Oni; National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Taiwo (Soweto); and a number of workers’ unions, among others.
Civil society organisations, students and youths were part of the march, which began as early as 9 a.m. from the popular Ikeja Underbridge.
While speaking, singer Falz said the killings across the country by bandits are too much and must come to an end.
“They are killing too many of us!” he said. “And we are here to demand an end to insecurity.”
He lamented that killings are happening in several parts of the country.
Like his father, Falana, Falz has often lent his voice to pro-democracy campaigns.
Ayoyinka, a former chairman of the African Action Congress in Lagos, said the day was another opportunity to call for the freedom of the 40 students and seven teachers still in captivity.
“As we are here, we still have our children in the forest in the hands of bandits and the government is not doing anything about it. We demand their release. We will continue to take action until Nigerians are safe,” he said.
Schoolchildren, teachers and a principal were abducted last month in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, by bandits and have spent almost a month in captivity.
This happened amid other series of abductions, killings and attacks that have taken place in several parts of the country, particularly in the North.
As Nigeria marks another Democracy Day, protesters used the occasion to call for a safer country and better living conditions.
The Conscience Call
Democracy is more than the right to vote; it is also the right to live in safety, dignity and hope. The June 12 protesters sought to remind the nation that political freedom loses much of its meaning when citizens live under the constant threat of kidnapping, violence and economic hardship.
While Democracy Day celebrates Nigeria’s progress since the return to civilian rule, it also provides an opportunity to reflect on the work that remains unfinished. The demand for security, justice and accountable governance is not an attack on democracy—it is a call for democracy to deliver on its promise.
As Nigeria honours the sacrifices of the heroes of June 12, the challenge before today’s leaders is to ensure that freedom is accompanied by safety, opportunity and improved living conditions for all.
