The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported on Friday in Abuja that the country experienced 1,580 human rights violations across six geopolitical zones in March. These violations included killings, abductions, domestic violence, and children’s rights abuses, among others.
At a presentation of the findings, the commission’s senior human rights adviser, Mr. Hilary Ogbonna, revealed that the North Central region had the highest number of human rights complaints with 468 cases. State actors, including the police, military, and Department of State Services (DSS), were responsible for 94 rights violations.
The report also documented 542 cases of children’s rights violations and 471 instances of domestic violence. Non-state actors and private actors were responsible for 32 and 36 violations, respectively, while 3 cases of violations against disabled people were recorded.
Ogbonna expressed concern over the increasing number of human rights violations, citing the abduction of 301 school children in Kaduna State and the killing of 40 people in Benue State. He also highlighted the violation of the right to life in various ways, including four deaths during the distribution of palliatives in Nasarawa State.
Ogbonna urged restraint from both state and private actors, emphasizing the importance of following rules of engagement and national and international laws. He also called on the police and military to conduct their investigations in compliance with these laws.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to promoting and protecting human rights in the country. He pledged to partner with other stakeholders to protect lives and properties and reduce human rights violations.
The NHRC’s monthly dashboard, which aims to make the human rights situation public, is supported by the United Nations Development Program, the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, and others.
