GAFAMORG, NCAMKI Declare September 5 National Civil Day of Remembrance, Demand End to Impunity
By Our Correspondent
The Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation (GAFAMORG) and the National Coalition Against Mass Abductions, Atrocities, Killings, Extra-Judicial Killings, Mob Action and Impunity (NCAMKI) have declared September 5 a National Civil Day of Remembrance, calling on Nigerians to remember victims of killings, abductions, disappearances, extra-judicial killings and other forms of violence.
The organisations made the call in a statement issued on Saturday, September 5, 2026, as they commemorated the death anniversary of the late human rights lawyer and activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who died on September 5, 2009.
According to the groups, the remembrance is intended not merely as an occasion for mourning, but as a national call for truth, justice, accountability and institutional reform.
They said the best way to honour Fawehinmi, who spent his life fighting for justice and the rights of ordinary Nigerians, was to continue the struggle against injustice and impunity.
‘The Dead Are Not Numbers’
GAFAMORG and NCAMKI lamented the growing number of Nigerians who have been killed, abducted or disappeared, stressing that behind every statistic was a human being and a grieving family.
“Behind every statistic is a name. Behind every name is a family. Behind every family is pain.”
The organisations declared that no victim should be forgotten twice, urging Nigerians and government institutions to keep unresolved cases alive until justice is secured.
They argued that remembrance must go beyond ceremonies and speeches.
“Remembrance must lead to truth. Truth must lead to justice. Justice must lead to accountability. Accountability must lead to reform.”
The groups consequently called on federal and state governments to investigate unresolved cases of violence, compensate victims' families and undertake comprehensive reforms of the country's security and justice institutions.
Seven Ways Nigerians Can Observe the Day
As part of activities marking the National Civil Day of Remembrance, GAFAMORG and NCAMKI urged Nigerians to participate in a number of symbolic activities.
They called for a one-minute nationwide silence at 12 noon, asking citizens to stop work or movement briefly in remembrance of victims.
They also called on Nigerians to light candles, torches or phone lights at 7pm as a symbolic demonstration of solidarity with victims and their families.
Other activities proposed include reading out the names of five victims, wearing black or white ribbons, sharing the story of a victim on social media without using graphic images, and organising 30-minute vigils or discussions in churches, mosques, schools, unions and markets.
The organisations further urged Nigerians to sign their Citizens' Demand, seeking official recognition of September 5 and stronger action against impunity.
Call to Journalists
The groups also appealed to journalists to help sustain public attention on unresolved cases of killings, abductions and other atrocities.
They urged the media to cover the noon silence and evening candlelight activities, interview victims' families and follow unresolved cases beyond the initial news cycle.
“Do not let the headlines end and the justice end,” the organisations said.
‘Victims and Their Families Must Be Heard’
GAFAMORG and NCAMKI expressed solidarity with families who have lost loved ones to violence, assuring them that their experiences and demands for justice remained legitimate.
They maintained that victims and their families must be central to discussions and decisions concerning the cases affecting them.
“Nothing about victims without victims and their families,” the statement declared.
Government Must Fix Security and Justice System
The organisations identified intelligence gathering, policing, prosecution, witness protection, the courts and victim support as areas requiring urgent government attention.
They argued that poverty, corruption and weaknesses within the justice system contribute to the persistence of violence and impunity.
“A system where criminals go free is a system that creates more victims,” they warned, calling on government to fix the system rather than abandon the rule of law.
The organisations also stressed that the fight against kidnapping, banditry, extra-judicial killings and mob action must itself remain within the law.
“We will not fight impunity with impunity,” they declared.
They emphasised that criminals, police officers, vigilantes and government officials must all remain subject to the law and the Constitution.
‘We Will Continue the Struggle’
The statement concluded with a renewed commitment to the struggle for justice and the defence of vulnerable and voiceless Nigerians.
“We remember. We will not forget. We will not keep quiet. We will continue the struggle.”
The organisations described the remembrance as part of the continuing effort to preserve the legacy of Gani Fawehinmi, whose lifelong activism was centred on human rights, justice, democracy and the defence of ordinary Nigerians.
The statement was signed by Comrade Tunde Agunbiade, for GAFAMORG and NCAMKI, and Comrade Ade Adewunmi Adeoye, PRO, GAFAMORG.
The organisations said the central message of the day was simple: remember the dead, defend the living and end impunity.
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