Silence is not an Option: The Slow Erasure of Human Rights In Nigeria – Ogundipe Daniel

The slow and subtle propaganda against human rights activists in Nigeria has finally been exposed. It is now clear that the federal government has been using its security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Army, to suppress the voices and rights of the people.

As the great Nigerian poet and activist, Wole Soyinka, once said, “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.” The silence of the Nigerian government in the face of human rights abuses is deafening.

The security agencies, which are supposed to protect the people, have been acting against their duty. They have been used to intimidate, harass, and even kill innocent citizens who dare to speak out against the government. This is a clear violation of the fundamental human rights of the Nigerian people.

As Thomas Sankara, the former President of Burkina Faso, once said, “The revolution and woman’s liberation go together. We do not talk of women’s emancipation as an act of charity or out of a sense of justice. It is a necessity for the triumph of the revolution.” The Nigerian people must rise up and demand their rights, just as the Burkinabé people did during the revolution.

The federal government has been using the threat of terrorism to extort public funds and the hard-earned money of citizens. The issue of banditry, kidnapping, church and housing bombings, Boko Haram, and other security threats has become a means of looting public funds, despite the poor wages and hardship economy in the country.

As Fela Kuti, the legendary Nigerian musician and activist, once said, “Music is the weapon of the future.” The Nigerian people must use their voices, their music, and their art to speak out against the injustices and demand their rights.

The time for silence is over. The time for action is now. The Nigerian people must rise up and demand justice, equality, and freedom. As Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, once said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” The Nigerian people must rise up and take their rightful place as the masters of their own destiny.

This is not a threat but a call to action for everyone, irrespective of the tribe, language, beliefs, religion, thought.We are done been fooled and we resist to be bow to oppressor.