NHRC Laments As State-actors Top Rights Violations

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said it has received a total number of 55, 218 cases of human rights violations and abuses from various states of the federation with larger complaint made against state actors.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Anthony Ojukwu who made this disclosure during his speech on Friday at the presentation of the May edition of the monthly Human Rights Dashboard in Abuja where he lamented the upsurge of violations, especially by state actors.

He noted the concerns that state actors were supposed to be responsible for upholding the rights of citizens and not violating them.

Ojukwu stressed that it is incumbent upon the federal and state governments to take concrete steps at addressing these violations by implementing policies that promote equitable access to education, healthcare, housing, and employment opportunities.

He added that this will help in protecting the rights of citizens as well as allowing them enjoy their economic, social, and cultural rights without discrimination or impediment.

While lamenting that mass killing and abduction has continued to rise astronomically, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria queried the increase in arrest and prolonged detention of journalists, coupled with killings of law enforcement agents, rise in the cases of violence against children as well as the impact of the economic reforms which he said has continued to diminish the enjoyment of human rights in the country.

The NHRC boss decried that his Commission, in May, witnessed an upsurge of complaints on sexual violence against children; adding that over 31, 288 and 7,560 of such cases were lodged against state actors and non-state actors within the period under review, respectively.

‘This month’s edition features 55,218 complaints received by the Commission with violations against state actors topping the chart. The violations recorded in the month of May impacted on an estimated 157,368 persons across the country based on our Victim Impact Analysis.

“This is a distressing indication that despite our efforts, there are still instances where those entrusted with upholding the law become violators of human rights. We must emphasise the importance of accountability and the reasonable use of force by law enforcement agencies.

“The month under review also witnesses significant and troublesome escalation in the activities of non-state armed groups across the country. Our Human Rights Observatory recorded 298 killings and 360 abductions largely attributed to terrorists and bandit groups,” Ojukwu said.

He charged the government to take concrete steps to address these violations and ensure that all citizens can enjoy their economic, social, and cultural rights without discrimination or impediment.

This, he noted to include implementing policies that promote equitable access to education, healthcare, housing, and employment opportunities.