ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, arguing that the crisis now poses a threat to international peace and security.
In an open letter dated May 30, 2026, and shared on its official social media platforms on Sunday, SERAP called on the UN to immediately draw the attention of the Security Council to the escalating violence, abductions, killings and displacement occurring across several parts of Nigeria.
The organisation said, “Nigeria’s escalating insecurity and grave human rights violations are reflected in repeated abductions, killings, attacks on civilians, and mass displacement in Oyo, Benue, Borno, Plateau, Kaduna, Zamfara, and several other parts of the country.”
According to SERAP, the scale and persistence of the crisis have outgrown a purely domestic dimension.
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“The scale, persistence, and regional implications of the insecurity and grave human rights crisis in Nigeria pose a threat to international peace and security,” it stated.
The group maintained that Article 99 was created specifically for situations that require urgent international attention and coordinated action.
“Article 99 of the UN Charter is designed precisely for situations in which emerging or ongoing crises require urgent preventive diplomacy, sustained international scrutiny, and coordinated international action,” the organisation said.
SERAP warned that years of violence across different states have triggered widespread humanitarian suffering and psychological trauma, stressing the need for swift intervention to prevent further deterioration.
It noted that the country continues to witness mass abductions of schoolchildren, travellers, women and rural dwellers, alongside attacks on farming communities by armed groups and criminal elements.
Citing recent incidents, the organisation referenced the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, noting that armed attackers stormed schools in Oriire Local Government Area where “at least 25 pupils and seven teachers were abducted” and an assistant headmaster was killed.
SERAP also referred to reports of student and commuter abductions in Benue State, as well as bomb attacks in Maiduguri, Borno State, which reportedly left at least 23 people dead and more than 100 injured.
The organisation further highlighted attacks in Katsina and Adamawa states, where coordinated raids allegedly resulted in multiple deaths and abductions, describing the trend as evidence of a rapidly worsening security environment.
“The crisis in Nigeria is not merely a domestic law-enforcement issue,” the organisation said, warning that the movement of armed groups across borders, population displacement and growing instability have broader implications for the West African region.
It added that “there is no effective protection of people and communities, with frequent reports of a pattern of large-scale violence across multiple states.”
SERAP also pointed to previous statements by the United Nations condemning attacks in Nigeria and calling for accountability, while warning that insecurity continues to aggravate humanitarian and food security challenges.
The organisation argued that the Secretary-General’s previous use of Article 99 in other global crises demonstrates its relevance in situations involving large-scale civilian suffering and regional instability.
It therefore urged Guterres to place Nigeria’s security challenges before the UN Security Council, seek regular briefings on attacks and displacement, and support coordinated international monitoring of the humanitarian situation.
SERAP also called for stronger measures to protect civilians, independent investigations into attacks, accountability for perpetrators, and increased international support to prevent further escalation of violence.
The appeal comes amid continued concerns over recurring mass abductions, attacks on rural communities and insurgency-related violence in different parts of Nigeria, raising fresh questions about the country’s ability to effectively safeguard lives and property.