The prominent Nigerien activist who openly challenged the military government was placed under judicial detention on Wednesday at Niamey Central Prison, just days after his public condemnation of the regime.

Nassirou Bodo “was remanded in custody (…) at the Niamey prison following his arraignment before the prosecutor’s office”, local online news outlet Aïr Info confirmed Wednesday evening.

Civil society leader Kaka Touda publicly acknowledged Bodo’s detention on social media but provided no further details about the circumstances surrounding the arrest, which followed a police interrogation period.

Bodo called for nationwide protest actions against state violence

Private daily newspaper L’Enquêteur reported Thursday that the government critic faces charges of “disseminating information likely to disrupt public order”.

In an early-week Facebook post, Bodo urged Nigeriens to organize “protest actions and expressions of disapproval against the social violence perpetrated by the State against its citizens” for “a renewable one-year period starting June 1”.

Among the alleged “violent acts”, he specifically cited “worsening insecurity in multiple regions” and ongoing “unjust evictions” of residents near Niamey’s airport. Authorities claim the demolitions of “illegally constructed” homes are necessary to safeguard the capital from “terrorist threats”, following a January 29 attack on the airport claimed by Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS).

The West African nation has faced relentless violence from jihadist factions linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for years. Since the military takeover in July 2023, journalists and civil society figures have increasingly faced arrests, detentions, and convictions on charges including defamation, national security violations, and conspiracy against state authority.

According to United Nations records, 13 journalists were arrested in Niger during 2025. Three detainees, including the Deutsche Welle correspondent, were released in early May after months behind bars.

Five journalists remain imprisoned, according to local press freedom groups. Civil society leader Moussa Tchangari has been held since December 2024, facing accusations of “terrorism glorification and endangering state security”.