NHRC Received 19,470 Complaints In April

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) received a total of 19, 470 cases of human rights violation complaints in April, 2024 alone.

The executive secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu (SAN) who disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja, during the official presentation of the April edition of the monthly dashboard on the state of human rights in Nigeria, said the situation indicates an upsurge in human rights complaints made to his commission and reiterated the need to intensify actions needed in defending citizens’ right.

Ojukwu who lamented on the continued rise in the cases of mass killings including the killing of law enforcement and members of the armed forces also raised alarm on the rise in the cases of violence against children, the media and cautioned that economic reforms should not be implemented without considering the enjoyment of human rights of citizens.

He said the monthly dashboard is borne out of the necessity by the Commission to monitor, investigate and report on human rights in real time.

„The dashboard is a unique and distinctive initiative of the Commission that presents infographic reports on where we stand on human rights in the country.

„These facts, statistics and analysis across broad and specific thematic areas provide policy makers, international partners, law enforcement agencies as well as civil society actors and media with the opportunity of gaining insights into the evolving human rights landscape in Nigeria and exploring collaborative avenues for addressing emerging challenges“, he said.

The representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and project officer Rule of Law and Human Rights, Nkechi Gift Enubiaka, commended the NHRC, for its commitment to promoting human rights in Nigeria and assured the Commission of UNDP‘s commitment in partnering with it.

„The Tripartite Partnership Agreement between UNDP and NHRC marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to promote and protect human rights in Nigeria. As we continue our journey towards a just and equitable Nigeria, we remain grateful for the invaluable partnership and look forward to further strengthening our collaboration for the advancement of human rights and sustainable development,” she said.