BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
The National Human Right Commission on Friday said it received 169,850 complaints for issues related to human rights violations across the country for the month of January 2025, which is indicative that the human rights ecosystem continues to be challenging.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, gave the figures during the January 2025 report of the Dashboard on Human Rights.
Dr. Ojukwu said the figures is a stark reminder that human rights violations persist in diverse forms and at an alarming scale, adding that each of these complaints represents a person, a family, or a community seeking justice, accountability, and relief.
He said the duty of the Commission and stakeholders is to ensure that these voices are not just heard, but that tangible actions are taken.
For that reason, Dr. Ojukwu said the Commission’s dashboard remains an essential resource for stakeholders, offering vital insights and data that highlight the need for collective response and action.
Dr. Ojukwu noted that “In the North-East, we are seeing the resurgence of Boko Haram and in the North West banditry and insurgency continue to challenge our communities.
“Violence and criminalities in the South East are assuming alarming dimensions impacting on human rights.”
The ES said, “While our efforts have led to significant interventions, the persistence of these violations raises critical questions: Are our systems strong enough to prevent recurring abuses? Are we bridging the gaps between violations and meaningful remedies? Are we holding perpetrators accountable while protecting survivors from further harm? What is our policy for the protection of civilians and mitigation of harm during conflict?”
Dr. Ojukwu admonished that “while stakeholders engage with this month’s trends, let us focus on strengthening preventive measures, closing protection gaps, and enhancing collaboration with state and non-state actors to reinforce human rights protections at every level.
“Our responsibility is not just to document human rights violations but to drive real, lasting change in governance, security, and social justice.”
The Executive Secretary pointed out that that 2025 is a milestone year for the National Human Rights Commission as it marks its 30th anniversary of its establishment, having been established in 1995.
He said the Commission has, during this period, witnessed over the last three decades, a human rights trajectory which indicates progress even though at a slow pace, but giving up should not be an option as governments at both national and state levels continue to adopt legal, policy and institutional frameworks to achieve human rights for all.
He particularly pointed out that “the revival of the local government system through their new autonomy is a game changer. It is pertinent that the role of the ‘Office of the Citizen’ should not be jettisoned.”
Presenting, the dashboard report, Hilary Ogbonna, senior human rights adviser to the Executive Secretary, said the figures for January 2025 indicate over 100 per cent decrease from that of December 2024 but an increase of over 1,000 per cent compared with January 2024.
According to Ogbonna, complaints related to law enforcement and human dignity topped the January figures followed by freedom from discrimination.
On Violations of women rights, the report indicate abandonment (women) more than 5,000 and denial of access to children as well as women trafficking were sore figures to worry about.
The reported also indicated that figures for sexual abuse of children has overtaken child abandonment followed by child trafficking and child labour.
Among its Issues of Focus, the commission said in deaths by accidents over 100 are related to petrol tanker explosions which it said can be blamed on bad roads, lack of regulations and shortcomings of drivers.
It, however, said poverty and people always seeking to take advantage of freebies significantly contribute to the risks because they often run towards such dangerous situations to scoop fuel instead of running away from danger.
The Commission also presented figures that shows that actions of none state actors, state actors and communal clashes are disheartening.
Its figures shows that five states top killings resulting from actions of none state actors and state actors with Borno having 69, Katsina 25, Imo 21, Zamfara 19 and Niger 16.
