The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on António Guterres to invoke Article 99 of the United Nations Charter and formally bring Nigeria’s worsening insecurity before the United Nations Security Council.

In an open letter dated May 30, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation argued that escalating violence across several parts of Nigeria now threatens regional peace and security.

SERAP cited recurring incidents of mass abductions, killings, attacks on civilians and large-scale displacement in states including Oyo, Benue, Borno, Plateau, Kaduna and Zamfara.

According to the organisation, “The scale, persistence, and regional implications of the insecurity and grave human rights crisis in Nigeria pose a threat to international peace and security and risk aggravating existing threats in the region.”

The group said Article 99, which empowers the UN Secretary-General to bring matters threatening international peace and security before the Security Council, was specifically designed for crises requiring urgent international attention and preventive action.

“Several years of violence and conflicts in several states have created appalling human suffering, physical destruction and collective trauma across Nigeria,” the letter stated.

SERAP argued that Nigeria’s security challenges have evolved beyond a domestic law enforcement issue, pointing to cross-border movements of armed groups, widespread displacement and weakening human rights institutions.

The organisation highlighted recent kidnappings in Oyo State, where armed men attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area and abducted pupils and teachers.

According to SERAP, the incident demonstrated the growing vulnerability of schools, children and education workers to criminal attacks.

The rights group also referenced reports of attacks in Benue, Borno, Katsina, Adamawa and other states, including bomb explosions, raids on rural communities and abductions of travellers and residents.

“Taken together, these incidents reflect an intensifying security crisis characterised by mass killings, abductions, and sustained attacks on rural communities,” the organisation said.

SERAP warned that the situation was rapidly deteriorating into a humanitarian emergency with potential consequences for stability across West Africa.

The organisation noted that senior UN officials have repeatedly expressed concern over insecurity in Nigeria, citing previous condemnations by Guterres and statements from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding mass abductions and attacks.

It also pointed to warnings from UN humanitarian agencies that insecurity is worsening displacement, disrupting livelihoods and deepening food insecurity.

SERAP argued that the UN Secretary-General’s use of Article 99 in relation to the Gaza crisis demonstrated the importance of early intervention where national crises risk broader regional destabilisation.

The group further stated that under international human rights law, governments have a duty not only to avoid violations but also to prevent, investigate and punish abuses committed by non-state actors.

According to SERAP, the repeated pattern of kidnappings, killings, enforced disappearances and attacks across Nigeria raises concerns about the adequacy of protection and accountability measures.

The organisation urged Guterres to place Nigeria’s security situation before the Security Council without delay and encourage regular public briefings on insecurity and its humanitarian impact.

It also called for systematic UN reporting on attacks and displacement, stronger protection for civilians, independent investigations into incidents of violence, accountability for perpetrators and reparations for victims.

SERAP further appealed to the international community to use all available diplomatic tools to prevent further escalation of the crisis and support efforts to protect lives across the country.