Says 1,147 complaints received in January
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed worries over the increasing violation of human rights in the country.
Speaking during the presentation of the Human Rights Dashboard in Abuja yesterday , the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu (SAN), lamented that the North-central zone has the highest number of rights violations, with Abuja having 382 out of 1,147 complaints received in January, 2024.
Ojukwu, who was represented by his Senior Adviser on Human Rights, Mr. Hilary Ogbonna, said the commission has 36 collection centres and in Abuja to receive complaints of human rights violation and that the figures represent only a fraction of rights violations in the country as a large number of violations are unreported.
According to the dashboard, the North-western region has the highest number of domestic violence in the country, saying that domestic violence include wife battery, rape, child abandonment and assault.
Ogbonna, who is the coordinator of the human rights dashboard, said the general human right violation not reported but captured, analysed include, increase in kidnapping with children and young people as soft targets.
The NHRC lamented that the situation in Plateau state and the attacks on traditional institution like what happened in Ekiti state are serious concern to the Commission.
He said: “Based on our analysis, 125 kidnapping cases were recorded in January, 56 killings, 22 children kidnapped and 12 of them killed. A total of 10 children were victims of torture, while seven law enforcement officers were killed in January.
Ojukwu while pointing out that the NHRC had the mandate to investigate human rights violation in the country, said Nigeria would continue to face multiple challenges in the protection and enjoyment of human rights in view of the rising in-security.
He said kidnapping and other activities of non-state actors have posed challenges to the enjoyment of human rights across the country.
