By Milcah Tanimu

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) raised alarm on Tuesday regarding the surge in human rights violations across Nigeria.

During the presentation of the Human Rights Dashboard in Abuja, Chief Tony Ojukwu (SAN), the Executive Secretary of the Commission, represented by Mr. Hillary Ogbona, Senior Adviser on Human Rights, expressed regret over the increasing number of rights violations, particularly highlighting the North-Central zone as the most affected. Abuja alone recorded 382 out of 1,147 complaints received in January 2024.

Ojukwu emphasized that the reported figures represent only a fraction of the actual rights violations in the country, as many cases go unreported.

The dashboard revealed that the North-Western region has the highest incidence of domestic violence, encompassing wife battery, rape, child abandonment, and assault.

Ogbona, coordinator of the human rights dashboard, underscored the rise in general human rights violations, including an increase in kidnapping cases targeting children and young people as vulnerable targets.

The NHRC expressed deep concern over the situation in Plateau state and recent attacks on traditional institutions, such as the incident in Ekiti state.

The data showed alarming figures for January, including 125 recorded kidnapping cases, 56 killings, with 22 children kidnapped and 12 tragically killed. Additionally, 10 children fell victim to torture, and seven law enforcement officers lost their lives during the period.

Ojukwu reiterated NHRC’s mandate to investigate human rights violations nationwide but acknowledged Nigeria’s enduring struggle in safeguarding and ensuring the enjoyment of human rights amidst escalating insecurity.

He pointed out that activities such as kidnapping by non-state actors present significant challenges to the protection of human rights across the country.