Nigeria Records 106,604 Human Rights Abuses in June Alone – NHRC

By Iyojo Ameh

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) revealed on Monday that Nigeria recorded a staggering 106,604 reported human rights abuses in the month of June alone.

Among the reported abuses were 1,667 cases of child abandonment and the killing of 19 security personnel.

Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN), the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, stated that the figure for June was the highest recorded in the past six months.

This was made known at the 6th edition of the monthly human rights dashboard of the Commission in Abuja.

Ojukwu said that the increase was disturbing but not unexpected in view of the current situation in the country.

He called on the state governors to rise to the protection of the fundamental rights of the citizens in their States adding that, the Commission itself would collaborate more with traditional rulers and Civil Society Organisations to raise the campaigns against human rights abuses.

Ojukwu noted with regret the increase in the extra-judicial killings in the country where he said Ebonyi and the Federal Capital Territory topped the list during the period.

Giving the breakdown of the reported 106, 604 human rights abuses, the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the NHRC Executive Secretary, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna explained that things are not going well in the country and that the increase in rights abuses called for more action.

Ogbonna said that the North Central still topped the table on the human rights abuses with a record of 29, 462, closely followed by South South with 21, 603.

Ogbonna explained that the South West recorded 18, 458, North West recorded 15, 101, North East, 12, 907, while South East recorded the lowest of 9, 164 reporter cases of human rights violation.

On the extra judicial killings, Ogbonna regretted that killing for blasphemy was recorded in Bauchi, another killed in Ondo state for infidelity and the stabbing of a wife’s lover to death in Ogun state, while the recorded ones in Edo are related to cultism.

He said that three different attacks were carried out on Police stations with FCT having one, while Ebonyi recorded two and appealed to Nigerians to stop attack on security operatives.

He also reminded me that mob actions and jungle justice are against Nigeria laws and should therefore be stopped.

On bomb related matters, he said Borno topped the list with two twin bomb explosions at wedding ceremonies where some people were killed, while Kaduna, Benue, Katsina and Plateau also have their own share in the terrorism related killings in the month of June.

The human rights expert the Commission is concerned with the high level of violation of the fundamental rights of women and children in the country.

Responding to a question on the 1, 667 abandoned children, the NHRC boss blamed the trend on the economic situation but however explained that, the economic situation should not be a good be a reason for innocent children to be abandoned.

Ojukwu said the Commission is partnering with stakeholders to provide shelter for the abandoned children while efforts are made to discover the parents of the children.