Nigeria's Human Rights Commission logs over 1.5 million violations in first half of year

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Nigeria recorded more than 1.5 million human‑rights complaints between January and June, with monthly totals rising from 180,341 in January to 326,113 in June. Executive Secretary Dr Tony Ojukwu warned that the surge includes alarming levels of sexual violence against children, extra‑judicial killings, kidnappings, communal clashes and other abuses, calling for urgent, coordinated intervention.

In the state of Adamawa, the NHRC office documented 276 violations in the same period. State coordinator Grace Mamza reported that 84 cases were resolved, 12 remain pending and nine were referred to authorities, while the rest are ongoing. Reported violations span forced marriage, domestic violence, unlawful arrest, inheritance rights, and other abuses. Mamza highlighted the commission’s sensitisation campaigns in schools and communities and urged the public to respect human dignity and report violations to the commission rather than taking the law into their own hands.