The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) revealed a startling 106,604 human rights violations in June 2024 alone, including 1,667 cases of child abandonment and the deaths of 19 security personnel.
This alarming figure highlights a significant surge in human rights abuses in the country.
The NHRC Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN), disclosed this at the 6th edition of the Commission’s monthly human rights dashboard.
He noted that the human rights violations reported in June marked the highest monthly total in the last six months, a trend he described as alarming but not surprising, given the current state of affairs in the country.
He urged state governors to take proactive steps to safeguard the fundamental rights of citizens within their jurisdictions.
Additionally, he pledged that the Commission will intensify its collaboration with traditional rulers and civil society organizations to amplify the campaign against human rights violations.
Ojukwu lamented the alarming rise in extrajudicial killings across the country, particularly in Ebonyi State and the Federal Capital Territory, which emerged as the worst-hit areas during the reported period.
Giving a breakdown of the reported human rights abuses, the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the NHRC Executive Secretary, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna, explained that things are not going well in the country and that the increase in rights abuses called for more action.
Ogbonna’s breakdown shows that the North Central region continues to record the highest number of human rights violations, with a staggering 29,462 reported cases, closely followed by the South-South region with 21,603 cases.
The South West region reported 18,458 cases, while the North West and North East regions recorded 15,101 and 12,907 cases, respectively.
The Southeast region had the lowest number of reported cases, with 9,164 human rights violations.
On the extrajudicial killings, Ogbonna regretted that killing for blasphemy was recorded in Bauchi, another killed in Ondo State for infidelity, and the stabbing of a wife’s lover to death in Ogun State, while the recorded ones in Edo are related to cultism.
He reported that there were three separate attacks on police stations, with one incident occurring in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and two in Ebonyi State.
He appealed to Nigerians to urgently cease attacks on security personnel, emphasizing that such violence is unacceptable.
Additionally, he issued a warning against using mob actions and jungle justice, emphasizing that these methods are against Nigerian law and must end.
Regarding bomb-related incidents, he reported that Borno State had the highest number of attacks, with two twin bomb explosions occurring at wedding ceremonies, resulting in fatalities.
Other states, including Kaduna, Benue, Katsina, and Plateau, also experienced terrorism-related killings in June.
The human rights expert expressed the Commission’s deep concern over the alarming rate of violations of women’s and children’s fundamental rights in the country.
When asked about the alarming number of abandoned children (1,667), the NHRC Chairman attributed the trend to the prevailing economic conditions but emphasized that economic hardship should never justify abandoning innocent children.
In order to ensure these children’s safety and well-being, he assured stakeholders that the Commission is working with them to provide temporary shelter while efforts are underway to trace and reunite them with their parents.
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