The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN), has warned that worsening insecurity and economic hardship are undermining the protection of human rights in Nigeria.
Ojukwu made the disclosure during the presentation of the Commission’s April 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard report, noting that terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence continue to threaten citizens’ rights to life, dignity and freedom of movement.
According to him, rising economic hardship has further increased the cost of living, pushing vulnerable Nigerians deeper into poverty and limiting access to healthcare and other basic services.
He explained that since the introduction of the Human Rights Situation Dashboard in 2024, the Commission had strengthened transparent and evidence-based monitoring of human rights violations across the country.
“The Dashboard remains an important accountability tool for identifying trends, emerging risks and areas requiring urgent intervention,” he said.
Ojukwu disclosed that the Commission recorded 266,787 complaints nationwide in April 2026, reflecting persistent challenges relating to discrimination, insecurity, abuse of authority, economic hardship and access to justice.
He added that beyond the formal complaints received, the Commission’s Human Rights Observatory continued to monitor broader patterns of violations nationwide.
According to him, the human rights situation during the period under review was largely shaped by insecurity, communal tensions, economic hardship and concerns over civic freedoms.
“Violent attacks, kidnappings, communal clashes, displacement, gender-based violence, mob actions and alleged abuses linked to law enforcement activities remained major concerns,” he stated.
The NHRC boss also expressed concern over a recent airstrike incident in Borno State which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties, as well as the increasing cases of extra-judicial killings allegedly carried out by security operatives.
He revealed that the Commission recorded more than five cases of extra-judicial killings in April alone.
“Human life is sacred and cannot be taken away by trigger-happy officers of our law enforcement and security agencies. We welcome actions taken by the Inspector General of Police and call for swift prosecution of offenders and compensation for victims’ families,” he said.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Network of NGOs, Mr. Oyebisi Oluseyi, called for stronger protection of citizens’ rights, especially freedom of expression.
Oluseyi said the advisory document unveiled during the event was designed to support a society where citizens can freely exercise and defend their rights.
Also speaking, the Commission’s Senior Human Rights Adviser, Dr. Hillary Ogbonna, presented the Dashboard report, stating that human rights complaints increased slightly in April 2026 amid continued reports of killings and insecurity, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Ogbonna identified the Federal Capital Territory, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Imo, Sokoto, Bauchi and Kogi as the top 10 states with the highest number of complaints.
According to him, the states accounted for 76 per cent of all complaints recorded during the period under review.
He added that the same states also recorded high levels of sexual and gender-based violence, violations of children’s rights, killings and kidnappings.
Ogbonna disclosed that 423 killing cases and 327 kidnapping cases were recorded in April, allegedly perpetrated by bandits, Boko Haram insurgents and unknown gunmen.
He noted that killings and kidnappings increased in April compared to March, lamenting the lack of decisive action to address the growing insecurity.
The report also highlighted abuses against children, including abduction, abandonment of newborns and sexual violence.
According to Ogbonna, major abduction cases were recorded in Kaduna, Niger, Kogi and Cross River states, while incidents of sexual violence against children were reported in Nasarawa, Ogun, Abia, Edo and Ondo states.
The event featured the presentation and signing of an advisory document on the protection of civic space and human rights in Nigeria.
