The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to urgently activate Article 99 of the UN Charter, warning that the worsening insecurity in Nigeria now constitutes a potential threat to international peace and security.
In a statement released on Sunday via its official social media handle, alongside an open letter dated May 30, 2026, the group argued that the UN Security Council must be immediately alerted to Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, which it said is characterised by widespread abductions, killings, and displacement across several states.
SERAP stated that “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.”
The organisation further maintained that the severity and persistence of the crisis have moved beyond a domestic issue, insisting that “the scale, persistence, and regional implications of the insecurity and grave human rights crisis in Nigeria pose a threat to international peace and security.”
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SERAP explained that Article 99 of the UN Charter exists to allow urgent intervention in situations where emerging crises require preventive diplomacy and coordinated global action. It emphasised that Nigeria’s situation now fits this threshold.
According to the group, “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.”
It warned that continued violence over the years has led to severe humanitarian consequences, including trauma, displacement, and widespread suffering, adding that immediate international attention is necessary to prevent further deterioration.
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In its breakdown of the security situation, SERAP highlighted repeated incidents of mass abductions involving schoolchildren, commuters, women, and rural residents, alongside consistent attacks on farming communities by armed groups and criminal networks.
It referenced the recent 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.
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The organisation also pointed to similar incidents in Benue State, where students and travellers were kidnapped while heading for university entrance examinations, as well as bombings in Maiduguri, Borno State, which reportedly left at least 23 people dead and over 100 injured.
Further citing insecurity in Katsina and Adamawa States, SERAP said coordinated attacks in these areas had resulted in multiple deaths and abductions, describing the pattern 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 cross-border movement of armed groups, displacement and instability now have regional consequences across West Africa,” SERAP said.
It also 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 noted growing international concern over Nigeria’s security challenges, referencing past United Nations statements condemning attacks in the country and calling for accountability, as well as warnings about worsening humanitarian conditions and food insecurity.
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The group further argued that previous instances where Article 99 had been invoked in global crises demonstrated its relevance in situations involving mass civilian harm and regional instability.
It therefore urged the UN Secretary-General to formally bring Nigeria’s insecurity before the Security Council, request regular briefings on ongoing attacks and displacement, and encourage coordinated international monitoring of the humanitarian situation.
SERAP also called for stronger civilian protection mechanisms, independent investigations into attacks, accountability for perpetrators, and broader international assistance to curb further escalation of violence.
The appeal comes amid continued reports of mass abductions, rural assaults, and insurgent activity across multiple regions of Nigeria, raising renewed concerns about the government’s capacity to safeguard civilians and contain the widening insecurity.
