Violence, Harassment, and Surveillance: How State Actors Stifle Civic Space in Nigeria – Report

Nigeria’s civic space and actors continue to suffer violence, harassment and surveillance from the state and state-backed actors which have consequences on the democratic institutions, a recent report revealed.

The Dataphyte report which examined select major Nigerian newspapers, including Daily Trust, Guardian, Tribune, ThisDay, and Leadership, indicates that attacks on journalists and media houses, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and other civic actors were prevalent between 2016 and 2024 in the country.

The report said the Guardian leads with 76.9% of its reports on threats to civic space focusing on physical assaults, followed by Daily Trust at 58.7%. Tribune, This Day, and Leadership allocate comparatively less coverage to such incidents, with 33.3%, 30%, and 25% respectively.

The report titled “Media Reports of Threats to Civic Space Actors and Institutions in Nigeria” published in February 2025, highlights the alarming rate at which Nigerian civic space actors face physical attacks among others while carrying out their duties. 

It noted that the majority of civic rights violations revolved around direct assaults reinforcing concerns about the shrinking space for freedoms in the country. 

The Guardian and Daily Trust, which dedicate the highest proportion of their reports to physical violence, reflect how common these threats have become.

While Tribune, This Day, and Leadership cover the issue to a lesser extent, their reports suggest a broader range of challenges, including legal intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and surveillance. 

Physical violence makes up 57% of reported cases in Daily Trust, while Guardian dedicates 61.5% of its coverage to similar incidents. 

This suggests that Nigerian civic space actors frequently face direct physical harm while carrying out their duties.

Beyond assaults, other documented threats include arbitrary arrests (7.4%), surveillance (3.8%), cyberbullying (2.5%), and restrictive laws (5.0%). 

Such trends indicate that state and non-state actors employ various tactics to silence freedom of expression, limiting ability to report or express opinion freely and hold power to account.

These findings align with growing calls for stronger protections for the actors, as unchecked attacks on press freedom and other critical civic actors will further erode democratic accountability in Nigeria.

The safety of civic space actors worldwide remains a growing concern, particularly in regions where press freedom is under threat. 

The consequences of these threats extend beyond individual actors to the broader landscape of democracy, governance, and public accountability.

Legal and Political Suppression 

The report noted that restrictive legislation is another tool used to stifle the freedom of individuals as proposed laws that could further criminalize investigative reporting, whistleblowing, or protest against bad governance efforts have been implied to be plans by authorities in the media coverage. 

These legislative threats, coupled with detentions and legal harassment, create an environment where the civic space actors operate under fear of reprisal. 

Reports show that legal harassment makes up 8.3% of threats in Daily Trust and 11.1% in Leadership, underscoring how the judiciary and law enforcement are sometimes used as tools of suppression.

Intimidation and Surveillance 

The actors, particularly Journalists and activists frequently experience intimidation, ranging from anonymous threats to overt harassment by security forces, the report said. 

It added that the Tribune newspaper has 4.9% of its civic space-related coverage focused on threats and intimidation to the actors. 

The use of surveillance, particularly digital monitoring, also contributes to a growing sense of insecurity among actors, with 3.8% of reports in Guardian highlighting cases where actors’ communications were intercepted or monitored by authorities. it explained.

Threats in Conflict Zones and Protests 

The report said a substantial number of threats occur during conflicts, protests, and demonstrations while journalists covering these events and other actors doing their civic rights are often caught in violent clashes or deliberately targeted. 

Reports from Leadership indicate that 25% of its coverage of civic space issues relates to attacks on actors in conflict or protest settings. 

The Guardian follows with 19.2%, further demonstrating the high risk faced by reporters covering politically charged events.

Civic Space Suppression on Democracy 

The report cautions that attacks on civic space actors are far-reaching as a free press is essential to democracy, providing the public with unbiased information, exposing corruption, and ensuring accountability. 

It noted that when journalists, activists, and other human rights actors are silenced, society suffers from misinformation, lack of transparency, and weakened civic engagement.

Moreover, the attacks will contribute to self-censorship, and in turn, leads to gaps in transparency in critical governance and human rights issues, ultimately benefiting corrupt officials and criminal enterprises.