Apo Six Film: CSOs demand answers over DSS review, warn against censorship
The Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS), comprising 21 civil society organisations, has demanded an explanation for the suspension of The Night of June 7th, a film about the 2005 killing of six young Nigerians in Abuja, popularly known as the Apo Six killings.
The group warned that the referral of the film to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further review could set a troubling precedent for artistic freedom and the documentation of controversial events in Nigeria’s history.
The film was scheduled for nationwide cinema release on August 28, 2026, but remains on hold following its referral by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), reportedly because of the sensitive nature of the events portrayed.
AGFCS said the Apo Six killings were already the subject of official investigations, prosecutions and judicial proceedings, making the need for an unexplained security review particularly concerning.
“The mere fact that a historical episode is considered sensitive, controversial or uncomfortable cannot, without more, provide sufficient justification for preventing or indefinitely delaying its retelling,” the group said.
The organisations acknowledged the NFVCB’s statutory responsibility to regulate films, but insisted that any restriction on artistic expression must have a clear legal basis and be necessary and proportionate to the harm it seeks to prevent.
The group questioned why a film depicting events that occurred more than two decades ago should require security-agency scrutiny.
“What specific aspect of a film concerning events that occurred more than two decades ago raises a national-security concern requiring security-agency review?” AGFCS asked.
It also demanded that the NFVCB disclose the legal basis for referring the film to the DSS, explain the criteria being used in the review and provide a definite timeframe for reaching a decision.
According to the group, the issue goes beyond the film itself, warning that unexplained security intervention in works dealing with alleged abuses by state institutions could discourage filmmakers, journalists, researchers and human-rights defenders from examining difficult chapters of Nigeria’s past.
It cited Section 39 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, including the right to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.
“Artistic expression and historical storytelling fall within the democratic space that this freedom is intended to protect,” the group said.
AGFCS urged the NFVCB and DSS to ensure that the review does not become “an indefinite or de facto ban on the film.”
It called for the regulatory process to be concluded promptly and for the film to proceed through the normal classification and exhibition process unless authorities can establish a specific legal basis for restricting its release.
The group also defended the importance of preserving difficult episodes in Nigeria’s history, arguing that public accountability requires societies to document and examine institutional failures rather than suppress uncomfortable narratives.
“Historical memory is an important component of accountability,” it said.
The organisations stressed that the controversy should not result in the disappearance of the Apo Six killings from public discourse.
“The Apo Six story deserves to be remembered, examined and told — not erased from public memory,” AGFCS said.
The statement was endorsed by 21 civil society organisations, including Spaces for Change (S4C), Policy Alert, Centre for Transparency Advocacy, FENRAD Nigeria, Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and Restorative Justice for Africa (REJA).
