The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said Monday that it recorded 266,787 complaints of human rights violations, a 10,655 increase compared to the month of March.
The NHRC gave the update during its monthly dashboard presentation at the commission’s headquarters on Monday.
Hilary Ogbonna, senior human rights adviser to the commission, described the increase as “a pattern we have seen every year.”
Among the lists of human rights violations, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), noted that “alleged abuses linked to law enforcement activities remained major concerns during the period under review.”
“In the month of April, the NHRC observatory recorded over five such cases. Human life is sacred and cannot be taken away by trigger-happy officers of our law enforcement and security agencies.”
He called on the Inspector General of Police for swift prosecution of all cases and for compensation paid to the victims’ families.
A recent case of police impunity went viral after a police officer in Delta State killed a 28-year-old man.
Despite several interventions, such as the #EndSARS protest to curb police excesses, and the government’s promise to reform the police, there are still reports of police impunity.
The NHRC has conducted two phases of town hall meetings on rights-based policing and oversight in the FCT for Divisional Police Officers (DPOs). During the first phase, the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, expressed commitment to put an end to impunity, especially by police officers, in Nigeria.
To make good on this promise, the police have since arrested the officer who killed the man in Benue; similarly, the force also said it dismissed some officials over alleged kidnapping, armed robbery, extortion and other criminal activities in Rivers State.
At the second phase of the town hall meeting, the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Ahmed Sanusi, also pledged the police’s commitment to upholding human rights.
Human rights violations through airstrikes
During Monday’s dashboard presentation, Mr Ojukwu lamented the “recent airstrike incident in Borno State, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.”
Other complaints include challenges relating to discrimination, insecurity, abuse of authority, economic hardship, and access to justice, violent attacks, kidnappings, communal clashes, and displacement, gender-based violence, and mob actions.
On 13 May, the commission demanded an explanation from the Nigerian Air Force over the recent military airstrikes that killed civilians in different parts of the country, warning that the incidents raise serious human rights and humanitarian concerns.
In April, a NAF airstrike killed unspecified numbers of civilians in a “precision” airstrike on a market in Jilli, a community bordering Yobe and Borno states.
The commission also demanded an explanation after this happened on 14 April. The NAF confirmed the operation but did not acknowledge the deaths of civilians. The NHRC noted that more than 56 persons died and many were injured.
On 10 May, military airstrikes targeting terrorists reportedly killed more than 100 civilians in Niger and Zamfara states.
Complaints from geopolitical zones
The North-central region recorded the highest number of complaints received in April, with 111,889.
It was followed by the North-west at 51,007, North-east at 50,061, South-east at 33,462, South-south at 10,249, and lastly South-West at 10,119.
The commission presented the top 10 states with the highest violations, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Imo, Sokoto, Bauchi and Kogi states.
According to Mr Ogbonna, “The FCT leads by over 35,000 complaints. The reason you are seeing this is that it’s a merger between our headquarters and the Abuja Municipal Office.”
Thematic complaints
Freedom from discrimination and law enforcement dignity emerged as the highest form of complaints in April.
The commission received reports of 752 women facing gender based violence, 436 abandonment, and 362 violations of their sexual and reproductive rights.
Also, 179 children were abandoned in April, during which 156 were also reported to be caught in child custody battles. The were also 148 cases of sexual abuse.
In the month under focus, the NHRC recorded 423 killings and 327 kidnappings.
However, the commission was able to resolve 1,651 cases, visited 104 custodial centres, police stations and places of detention. They also summoned the police 40 times and visited the military six times.
READ ALSO: NHRC demands explanations over civilian casualties in recent Nigerian military airstrikes
NHRC signs advisory
To cap the dashboard presentation, the NHRC signed an advisory on Protecting Civic Space and Human Rights.
Mr Ojukwu said it was timely and significant because “across the world, civic space continues to face increasing pressure, with growing concerns relating to restrictions on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, media freedom, and civic participation.”