Rights commission receives 2m violation complaints annually

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said it receives over two million complaints annually regarding human rights abuses across Nigeria.

The NHRC Executive Secretary, Prof. Anthony Ojukwu, said this on Tuesday in Abuja at an awareness walk of the International Human Rights Day, celebrated annually on December 10, to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The event, themed “Equality: Reducing Inequalities and Advancing Human Rights”, was organised by NHRC in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), the European Union and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

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Participants at the walk carried placards bearing messages, including calls to action such as ‘Stand for Equality, Fight For Humanity’, ‘Human Rights Are Universal Rights. Let’s Protect Them’, ‘Human Rights Know No Boundaries’, ‘Break The Chains Of Inequality, Advance Human Rights’, among others.

“Today (Tuesday) is a remembrance of the dignity of man. A remembrance of your rights, the very essence of your being. For Nigeria, the number one institution that the government has set up to ensure your rights under the constitution is the National Human Rights Commission. So that is why we take it as our duty.

“We sensitise Nigerians to emphasise the fact that we all have rights. And if your rights are violated, as long as there are human beings living in society, there will be a violation of rights. But the important thing is, the government has also provided a place you can go to complain if your rights are violated. We receive over two million complaints a year, and that is really mind-boggling,” Ojukwu said.

When asked if the figure did not portend danger to the well-being of Nigerians, Ojukwu said it showed that the massive awareness about people’s rights and eagerness of people to report violations of their rights, hoping to seek redress, is a positive development.

“This was not the case some years back. During the military rule, maybe you have 20 complaints a year, you have 100 complaints a year. So for us to be at two million more complaints a year now shows that Nigeria has come of age.”

The NHRC boss also appealed to Nigerians to support the Human Rights Fund which remains unfunded to date.

“Private individuals, companies, can also donate. It does not have to be cash; they can donate equipment. They can donate computers, they can donate laptops, they can donate vehicles. They can donate facilities, tables, chairs, all those kinds of things, they all help.’’

The Chairman, Governing Council of the NHRC, Dr Salamatu Suleiman, said the commemoration of Human Rights Day should not be confined to one day but done every day.

She said emphasis must be placed on out-of-school children, stressing that if they are educated, it will eliminate vices in society.

Also speaking, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohammed Fall, said there is an increase in conflicts, anger and suffering globally, which leads to human rights violations.

He assured that the UN would continue to take remedial action based on normative principles, which have been adopted by member states.

Dr Natalia Kanem, the Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), says the rights of women and girls should be prioritised for a just, equal and prosperous world.

According to her, human rights exist to protect everyone from harm and to ensure dignity and inclusion.

She said in spite of the progress made over the years, there was still much work to do, emphasising that “millions of women and girls in all their diversities continue to be denied their fundamental human rights.

“Only 56 per cent of women are able to make their own decisions over their sexual and reproductive health and rights,” she stated.

Speaking on the development, the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) urged the federal and state governments to make human rights a reality for all Nigerians in accordance with their constitutional obligations to recognise and maintain human dignity, saying that by so doing, they could begin to rebuild public trust in government, foster national unity, and unlock the true potential of the Nigerian people.

MRA’s Programme Officer, Ms Esther Adeniyi, in a statement to commemorate the day, lamented that the promise of human rights contained in the constitution as well as in regional and international instruments that Nigeria is a party to, has remained unfulfilled for far too many citizens as the country has spiraled into a jungle where only the fittest survive and human life has little value.

“The federal government has duties and obligations under international law to respect, protect and fulfil human rights. It cannot claim to be living up to these responsibilities in the face of the immense challenges facing human rights in Nigeria, including the rising cases of extrajudicial killings, police brutality, arbitrary arrests and unlawful detentions, widespread gender-based violence, suppression of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, and the growing inequality across the country, among many others.”

In a joint statement, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) urged Nigerian authorities to cease using repressive laws to intimidate journalists, critics and media organisations.

The groups highlighted the misuse of the Cybercrimes Act, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) codes, and other legislation to stifle free expression. They noted that Nigeria’s press freedom remains under severe threat despite 25 years of uninterrupted democratic rule.

SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare and NGE Secretary, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, noted that impunity for human rights violations against journalists emboldens perpetrators and discourages critical reporting.

Citing data from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), SERAP and NGE revealed that 110 verified press attacks were recorded in 2024, surpassing the total for 2023 within nine months.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on his X handle on Tuesday, raised concerns about the misuse of the cyberbullying law, which he said has been weaponised to target dissenting voices, including those in the opposition and the press.

“The weaponisation of the cyber-bullying law to harass, intimidate, and silence opposition voices and journalists is alarming. It is a blatant attack on freedom of expression and the principles of democracy,” Atiku said.

He urged Nigerian leaders to recommit to their constitutional oaths to protect the rights of citizens.

Also, the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, said while human rights are a global desire that demonstrates the inalienable rights to which every human being, including every Nigerian, irrespective of tribe, social status, or religion, is entitled, it is also the foundation for peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

Obi said on his X handle that on a day like this, everyone including Nigerians ought to judge for themselves how they have progressed or retrogressed in respecting the human rights of the citizens.

“As much as I would like to sing the praises of our nation, however, the obvious realities witnessed daily by Nigerians are saddening. The gross disrespect for the human rights of the citizens, abuse of power and public offices, extrajudicial arrests and punishments for perceived wrongs, and so many other manifestations of human rights abuse stare us in the face and are very worrisome.’’

A former publicity secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Douglas Ogbankwa, called for sanctions against perpetrators of human rights abuses in Nigeria.

Ogbankwa spoke in Lagos during the commemoration of World Human Rights Day.

Ogbankwa, who is also the Convener of the Vanguard for Judiciary Independence, said Nigeria could improve its human rights preservation index, in which there are clear sanctions for abuses.