Human rights complaints surge by 27% amid economic hardship – NHRC

Human rights violations have seen a sharp increase amid the country’s worsening economic situation, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported on Thursday.

The commission recorded 427,606 human rights complaints in October, marking a 27 per cent rise in petitions compared to the previous month.

This marks the third consecutive month that the NHRC has reported a significant rise in human rights complaints.

Presenting the NHRC’s latest monthly human rights dashboard report at its headquarters on Thursday, the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the commission, Hilary Ogbonna, said October had the highest number of killings and abductions.

Mr Ogbonna explained that the killings were more in October due to the explosion of a tanker in Jigawa State which claimed the lives of 167 persons.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how scores died in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State after a tanker exploded while they scooped fuel after the tanker fell and its content gushed into a drainage. Some persons had also died trying to prevent others from going close to the tanker.

Mr Ogbonna said that due to the economic hardship in the country, individuals saw an opportunity to make a profit which sadly led to their death. He called on the government to put into effect the regulations that prevent vehicles which are not motorable from plying the roads.

“The security and welfare of the people is the primary duty of the government. It doesn’t matter whether they are able to go to school, whether they can read inflammable or non-flammable,” he said. “The question is, what is a tanker, a fuel-laden tanker, that is not motorable, that is not mechanically efficient, what is it doing on a road that is accessible by ordinary Nigerians.”

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, said the increase in reported cases signals an undeniable pattern in the gross violations of human rights across the country.

Commenting on the violation of the freedom from discrimination, which topped the October chart, Mr Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said that this abuse was rooted in the inequalities and prejudice that plague our nation.

“The challenge then is not just to acknowledge this issue, but to take decisive action to dismantle these barriers and ensure equal treatment for all Nigerians, regardless of background, ethnicity, religion, or status. At the same time, we must confront other ongoing emerging issues with the same urgency,” he said.

Reflecting on the progress the commission has made so far since the commencement of the monthly dashboard meeting in January, the NHRC boss said that the dashboard is a vital tool in offering insight to all those working to advance human rights in the country, capturing the attention of stakeholders and triggering meaningful discussions.

Issues in focus

According to the dashboard report, there has been an increase in cult-related killings and a rise in cases of sexual violence against minors, domestic violence, and the rise of mobs leading to seven deaths and mass killings and abductions.

Other issues that also featured prominently on the chart in the report are violations of economic, social and cultural rights resulting from the economic plight of many Nigerians and abuse by law enforcement officers due to the 1 October protest.

The 1 October protest, tagged National Day of Survival, was a continuation of the #EndBadGovernance protest organised to express discontent over the rising cost of living due to President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies.

Despite the NHRC issuing an advisory on the proper conduct of protest, law enforcement officers infringed on the rights of peaceful protesters. Many were arrested and detained by both the State Security Services (SSS) and the Nigerian police. The protest turned violent in Kano and Kaduna states. But the 1 October protest witnessed a low turnout in most states except Lagos, Ondo and Oyo.

Another worrisome issue the dashboard is child rights violations. 1,358 children were abandoned in the month of October. Mr Ogbonna stressed the need for proper orientation of parents. He noted that the findings of the commission indicated that parents were mostly the violators of their children’s rights.

States in focus

Geopolitically the North-West continues to top the chart of complaints received, while states like Zamfara, Anambra, Jigawa and Sokoto experienced notable human rights violations.

In Zamfara State mass abductions and killings were prevalent. The commission reported that 20 persons were killed in Anambra due to cult-related activities. In Jigawa State 167 persons died in the tanker explosion while Sokoto State experienced deaths as a result of the new terrorist group, Lakurawa.

Mr Ogbonna called on the government of the states to work with law enforcement officers, especially in Sokoto State, to nip the activities of Lakurawa.

He cautioned that a lackadaisical approach to tackling this group may result in the birth of another insurgent group similar to Boko Haram and ISWAP, who have wreaked havoc in the North-east since at least 2010.

He also called on all stakeholders present at the presentation of the dashboard report to reflect on these developments, while bearing in mind that human rights are not negotiable.

“Let this report be more than a reflection of our present state. Let it be the spark that ignites lasting change for the future of our nation,” he said.

Inauguration of a working group

The commission also inaugurated a working group comprising the representatives of civil society organisations such as Spaces for Change, Centre for Technology and Development (CITAD), Nigerian Network of Non-Governmental Organisations (NNGOs) and lawyer.

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The working group has a mandate to work on a draft advisory, which aims to promote and protect the rights of citizens and non-governmental organisations in civic spaces.

It is also expected to strengthen engagement with civil society leaders “to amplify voices to protect the civic space. It is a genuine recognition of the role of civil society as a critical sector for the consolidation of our democracy.”

The committee received the recommendations of individuals and promised to release the advisory which would reflect the suggestions.