THE National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), yesterday, said it received a total of 106, 604 cases of human rights violations in June.
The commission, which described the number as “unprecedented and worrisome,” said the complaints were received from various parts of the country, with the North Central geopolitical zone topping the list with 29, 462 cases.
Presenting the sixth edition of the monthly human rights dashboard to the media, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN), said cases of mob action, extra-judicial killings, kidnapping and cult-related deaths, were recorded in Bauchi, Katsina, Niger, Kaduna, Plateau, Borno, Benue and Edo State.
He said: “Over the last six months, the dashboard has provided us with critical insights into the evolving human rights landscape in Nigeria.
“It has illuminated areas of progress and highlighted the challenges that still lie ahead. The dashboard has equally proven instrumental for the Commission’s programming.
“By identifying key trends and issues, we have been able to tailor our interventions to address pressing needs. This has resulted in more impactful and sustainable outcomes for the communities we serve. “A major success for the dashboard is that it also serves as a good public enlightenment on human rights issues in Nigeria.
“The mandate of the commission and its complaints mechanisms have gained grounds across Nigeria with a steep increase in the number of complaints received in the months of May and June.
“For the month of June, we have received an unprecedented number of 106,604 complaints.
“This increase is disturbing but not unexpected. This positive development is a testament to the concerted efforts of all stakeholders involved.
“It underscores the impact of our targeted interventions and collaborative efforts in safeguarding the rights of our most vulnerable population. The sharp increase could also be directly attributed to: the awareness on human rights raised across the country by our 36 states offices and the FCT.
“Our partnership with community, traditional and religious organisations to raise awareness on human rights and NHRC complaints mechanism.
“Over the last six months, we have continued to re-assess the outlook, contents and presentation of the dashboard to cover all aspects of human rights at thematic, sector and population-based levels.
“A disheartening trend we have observed this month is the increase in the level of mob justice and extra-judicial killings in many parts of the country. We also recorded attacks of Police stations in Ebonyi state and the FCT.
“The dashboard has also revealed areas that require our immediate attention. For instance, we have noticed emerging challenges in areas such as freedom of expression and targeted abductions.
“The defilement of minors still presents for us a worrisome situation. These insights are invaluable as they guide our priorities and strategies moving forward.
“We are presenting this June Dashboard at a time when Cholera is ravaging parts of the country with over 60 deaths recorded. We are also faced with the impact of flooding in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
“These incidents have huge implication for the enjoyment of human rights and I urge the federal and state authorities to be alive to their responsibilities to protect the right to life and human dignity.
“While acknowledging the efforts already made by stakeholders, we urge that securing the rights of citizens in these emergencies become the ultimate goal of every intervention,” Ojukwu, SAN, added.
Giving a breakdown of the reported cases of human rights abuses, the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the Commission, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna, disclosed that the South South region of the country came second with a total of 21, 603 cases.
According to him, whereas 18, 458 rights abuse cases were recorded in the South West, there were 15, 101 cases in North West, 12, 907 in North East, while the South East recorded the lowest with 9, 164 reported cases.
Ogbonna added that while the Commission recorded 1667 cases of child abandonment, it also got 58 cases of rape and 600 cases of sexual and domestic violence, within the month under review.
