By PASSMAN AKPOS (The Militant with a Pen) Tarakirivoice Editorial Team
In the early hours of a protest held in Abuja, a disturbing reality once again played out before our eyes — a scene that has now become all too familiar in Nigeria. Armed policemen opened fire with live ammunition on peaceful protesters who gathered to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu — a man whose continued detention defies not just the principles of justice but spits on the face of the very laws of the country.
Among the demonstrators was Omoyele Sowore — a man who, regardless of what anyone thinks of his politics, has consistently risked his life in the pursuit of justice, liberty, and truth. Sowore did not have to be there. He is not from the South-East. He is not a member of IPOB. He could have stayed silent, as many do. But he stood up — again — and put his life on the line to speak out against tyranny.
But instead of praise, what did he receive? Mockery. Scorn. Online jeers from fellow Nigerians who laughed when he had to run for his life as bullets rang out. Laughed when the police arrested Kanu’s lawyer and younger brother and threw them in Kuje Prison like common criminals.
This is not just about Sowore. This is not just about Nnamdi Kanu. This is about Nigeria — a nation where silence is safer than courage, where fear has become culture, and where justice is now a luxury reserved for the elite.
We Are Losing Our Humanity
How did we get here? How did we become a people so broken that we now mock the few who dare to fight for us?
We have normalized evil. We have accepted impunity as leadership. We have become so numb that we scroll past images of brutality and death, pausing only to laugh or debate tribe, region, or religion. Meanwhile, the children of the political elites study abroad, vacation in Europe, and run billion-naira campaigns while citizens are shot dead for daring to speak.
We now live in a country where peaceful protest is treated like an act of terrorism. Where law-abiding citizens are abducted, detained, and tortured without trial. Where the Constitution is only a piece of paper — useful only when it protects the powerful.
Our democracy is bleeding. And the silence of the people is the loudest scream of a nation that has lost hope.
To President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Political Elite
Mr. President, the world is watching. But more importantly, history is recording.
The same democracy you now enjoy was bought with the blood, sweat, and courage of men and women who resisted military tyranny. You were one of them. You stood against oppression. You sought asylum abroad. You condemned the brutality of state forces.
And now, under your watch, peaceful protesters are being shot at, lawyers are being jailed, and journalists are being harassed.
Is this the Nigeria you fought for?
Your silence on these acts is not neutrality. It is complicity. And history will not forget.
To Nigerians: The Time for Reflection is Now
We must ask ourselves: what kind of country do we want to leave behind for our children?
Are we okay with being slaves in our own land? Are we comfortable watching injustice unfold daily as long as it doesn’t knock on our own door?
The truth is: no one is safe. If Sowore can be shot at. If a lawyer can be arrested for defending his client. If bullets can fly in broad daylight because people dared to ask for justice — then it can happen to anyone.
Silence is not safety. Silence is surrender.
To the International Community
The Nigerian people are crying out — not just for help, but for acknowledgement. The systematic abuse of human rights in Nigeria cannot be ignored any longer.
We urge international human rights organizations, foreign governments, and the United Nations to:
Launch independent investigations into the violent crackdown on peaceful protests.
Demand the immediate release of all illegally detained persons, including Nnamdi Kanu.
Hold Nigerian leaders accountable through diplomatic and legal pressure.
Provide support to civil society groups fighting for democracy and freedom in Nigeria.
The world must not wait until mass graves are discovered before it acts. The signs are all here. The red flags are waving.
In the End
Nigeria is not just bleeding — it is weeping. And if those who still have a voice do not speak now, the silence will bury us all.
To Sowore, and to every Nigerian who still dares to speak truth in a land where truth can get you killed — history will remember you. Your courage is not in vain. And even if the people mock you today, they will one day look back and realize that you stood tall when others bowed.
Let us not be a people who bury heroes while laughing at our chains.
Let us rise — before it is too late.
I’m PASSMAN AKPOS (The Militant with a pen), a Social commentator, an Activist, a political analyst, a journalist/ Tarakirivoice Editorial Team
