The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has revealed that it recorded 365,224 cases of human rights abuses across Nigeria in August 2025 alone.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the presentation of the National Human Rights Dashboard and the Protection of Human Rights of Forcibly Displaced Persons initiative, which tracks the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Ojukwu described the volume of complaints as a stark reflection of the country’s human rights challenges, noting that the reports covered all six geo-political zones. He said the cases largely centered on discrimination, violations of economic and social rights, and abuses linked to law enforcement.
He highlighted disturbing incidents, including mass killings in Zamfara and Katsina, mob justice in Abuja and Kwara, sexual violence against minors in Ekiti and Ondo, and farmer-herder clashes in Benue and the FCT. He also noted suicides in Osun and Imo linked to financial and academic stress.
On displacement, the NHRC documented 8,966 new cases between May and July 2025, bringing the cumulative figure to 53,261 since February. It also recorded 10,710 returnees, 5,191 refugees, and 2,275 asylum seekers within the same period.
Ojukwu stressed the need for stronger child protection laws, policing reforms, land tenure solutions, and mental health support. He urged federal, state, and local governments to act decisively, warning that vulnerable populations continue to bear the brunt of insecurity, displacement, and climate-related crises.
“These dashboards are not just statistics but compasses pointing us to action,” he said. “They remind us that dignity must be non-negotiable, and that Nigeria must build a system where no one is left behind.”
