The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised concern over the increasing wave of human rights violations across Nigeria, revealing that it received over 406,000 complaints and monitored 160 incidents of rights abuses in October 2025 alone.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (OFR, SAN, FICMC), made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja during the presentation of the October 2025 Human Rights Situation Dashboard, an evidence-based monthly report used to track trends in rights violations nationwide.
Now in its 22nd month, the Dashboard provides data for policy guidance, advocacy, and accountability through the NHRC’s 38 state offices and Human Rights Observatory. “The Dashboard has become an indispensable tool for evidence-based advocacy and public accountability,” Ojukwu said. “It mirrors the state of human rights in Nigeria as we continue to face conflict, insecurity, and criminality.”
According to the NHRC, the 406,088 complaints received in October highlight persistent issues such as arbitrary detention, police misconduct, sexual and gender-based violence, access to justice, and violations of civil liberties.
While noting a slight drop in killings and abductions compared to September — which he described as a “possible sign of improved security” — Ojukwu said the overall situation remained dire, with “hundreds of lives lost in coordinated attacks” across Niger, Borno, Plateau, Kaduna, Kogi, and Kwara States.
He lamented that farmers, herders, women, children, and entire communities continue to suffer displacement and violence, adding: “These are not statistics; they are Nigerian mothers, fathers, and children whose dignity has been violated.”
The NHRC chief also expressed growing concern over suicides, extra-judicial killings, torture, inhumane treatment in schools, and restrictions on freedoms of movement, assembly, and religion. He stressed that such violations, though often overshadowed by insecurity, erode public trust in state institutions and require urgent accountability and reform.
Addressing recent diplomatic tensions over alleged religious killings, Ojukwu urged for a balanced understanding of Nigeria’s conflict dynamics. “Conflicts in Nigeria have led to killings by religious extremists targeting Christians, but citizens of other faiths have also been victims,” he said.
He reminded that the Nigerian government bears a constitutional duty under Section 14(2) of the 1999 Constitution to protect lives and property, cautioning against external interference. “Boko Haram and ISWAP are killing both Christians and Muslims,” he noted. “The common enemy is terrorism, not religion.”
Ojukwu appealed to the international community — particularly the United States — to support Nigeria’s counterterrorism and peacebuilding initiatives through partnership rather than threats.
Reaffirming the Commission’s independence, Ojukwu said the NHRC remains guided by the Paris Principles of impartiality, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law. He called on government agencies, civil society, the media, and development partners to interpret human rights data responsibly and promote collective accountability. “The Dashboard is a tool for awareness and action — not for blame,” he emphasized. “Only through shared responsibility can we uphold the dignity and rights of every Nigerian.”
Ojukwu also acknowledged the support of the UNDP, OHCHR, and the Government of Norway under the Tripartite Partnership Programme (TPP), which powers the Commission’s human rights monitoring.
Analysts say the October Dashboard reveals a paradox — a gradual decline in overt insecurity indicators like killings and abductions, but a rise in institutional violations and socio-economic distress, including suicides and police misconduct.
Concluding, Ojukwu said Nigeria’s human rights situation remains a critical measure of its democratic strength: “Our shared commitment to justice and dignity remains the foundation upon which Nigeria can thrive.”
