Niger activist detained after calling for protests against state violence

Nassirou Bodo has been remanded in custody at the Niamey detention center following his presentation to the prosecutor’s office, local sources confirmed late Wednesday.

Civil society leader Kaka Touda took to social media to verify the arrest, though no details were provided regarding the grounds for his detention, which followed a period of police custody. According to the private newspaper L’Enquêteur, Bodo faces charges of «disseminating information likely to disrupt public order.»

In an early-week Facebook post, Bodo urged Nigeriens to launch «actions of protest and disapproval against the state’s social violence» for «a renewable one-year period starting June 1.»

Among the alleged acts of «violence» he highlighted were «rising insecurity in multiple regions» and the «unjust evictions» of residents near Niamey’s airport, a site targeted in a January 29 attack claimed by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS).

Government officials have defended the demolitions of «illegally constructed homes» as necessary to mitigate «terrorism risks» facing the capital.

Niger continues to grapple with escalating violence linked to jihadist factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Since the military takeover in July 2023, journalists and civil society members have faced arrests, imprisonment, and in some cases, convictions on charges including defamation, national security breaches, and conspiracy against state authority.

United Nations data indicates 13 journalists were detained in Niger during 2025, with three—including a correspondent for Deutsche Welle—released in early May after months behind bars. Five journalists remain incarcerated, according to local press watchdogs.

Civil rights advocate Moussa Tchangari, a vocal critic of the ruling junta, has been held since December 2024 on accusations of «apologizing for terrorism and endangering state security.»