The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, said that it received two million human rights violation complaints from Nigerians in 2024.
The Executive Secretary of NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, SAN, disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday during a Human Rights Walk in conjunction with a European Union-funded International IDEA.
According to him, the walk, which is in commemoration of the 2024 International Human Rights Day, is aimed at creating awareness of the rights of every Nigerian alive.
He noted that citizens nationwide whose rights are violated can call on the Commission to seek redress.
However, he advocated for improved funding from the government and other private institutions in order to seek redress on behalf of Nigerians whose human rights are violated.
“Any Nigerian from any part of Nigeria whose right is violated, you can call that number. We have offices in all the 36 states of Nigeria where these rights are being addressed.
“As you know now, Nigeria, we are receiving up to 2 million complaints in a year. What does that show you? Massive awareness about people’s rights and eagerness of people to report violations of their rights, hoping to seek redress.
“So for us to be at the two million mark for complaints a year now shows that Nigeria has come of age. Nigerians are aware of their rights and are seeking that their rights should be addressed.
“So it’s a challenge to authorities. It’s a challenge to the government. It’s a challenge to individuals that Nigerians are seeking to address their rights. And we all have to rise up to the occasion, including you, the media.
“We all have to rise up to the challenge to speak against violations of rights and also challenge the court and the National Human Rights Commission when these rights are violated, which will also take steps to make sure we address them.
“We need resources because all these things cannot be done without resources. The government is trying, but they can do a lot better. They can pay a lot more. Also, note that it is not only for the government to assist in addressing human rights violations; private individuals and companies can also donate,” he stated.
On her part, Dr. Salamatu Hussein, the chairperson of the NHRC Governing Council, emphasised the need for Nigeria to beam its searchlight on children’s rights violations.
According to her, ensuring the children’s rights will end the problem of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
“We should bring to our minds the importance of human rights. We’ve already had a whole spectrum of them. They are all very, very important and of particular concern to the Commission, just as all the other rights, but particularly that of children, because they are the leaders of tomorrow.
“The right to education, we believe, should be expounded very seriously, because if we get that right, most of the problems of this country will be solved,” she stated.
Nigeria records 2 million human rights violation complaints in 2024 — NHRC
