Nigeria, June 12 -- Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has called for the immediate rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oyo State, warning that the victims are enduring severe hardship in captivity.

Mr Falana, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), made the appeal on Friday during a June 12 protest in Lagos, where demonstrators gathered to decry insecurity, economic hardship and what they described as a declining democratic culture in the country.

The protest, held under the Ikeja Bridge, was later marked by tension after supporters and counter-protesters converged on the same venue, forcing police intervention to prevent a breakdown of order during Democracy Day commemorations.

He stated that the protest was not only about th...