*Demands Government Action On Poverty, Impunity, Weak Institutional Responses
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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday expressed concern over the increasing cases of human rights violations in the country, noting that last month it recorded a total of 331,035 complaints.
Presenting its July 2025 human rights situation dashboard, the Commission said the complaints represented a 10 percent increase compared to June.
Breaking down the complaints, the NHRC disclosed that the North Central region topped the chart with 140,707 cases, followed by the North West with 63,296 cases. The North East recorded 55,287 complaints, the South East 41,895, the South West 15,280, and the South South 14,570 cases.
Further analysis showed that Benue State, with 39,837 cases, led the top 10 states with the highest complaints, followed by the FCT, Borno, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Imo, Sokoto, and Kogi.
The NHRC also reported 375 deaths across the country in July, along with 98 cases of kidnapping.
According to the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, the most prevalent issues for the month related to law enforcement and human dignity, freedom from discrimination, and economic, social, and cultural rights.
“These are not new issues, but their persistence underscores systemic problems we cannot normalize,” Ojukwu said.
“From our observatory, we are gravely concerned by the resurgence and escalation of deadly violence across the country. In Sokoto, 15 men were killed in a reprisal attack by suspected members of Lakurawa. In Kebbi, a similar tragic pattern emerged, with three police officers losing their lives in a failed abduction attempt.
“July represents the deadliest month for vigilante groups in the country, with nearly 100 fatalities. While vigilante groups play a role in supporting our security and armed forces, their decimation poses a serious threat to collective security and the enjoyment of our liberties. These are not isolated incidents; they reflect failures in security, justice, and accountability.
“We are seeing increased targeted killings of law enforcement agents, frequent kidnappings and killings by bandits, brazen violence by cultist groups, and widespread violations of the right to life, particularly in communities already vulnerable due to conflict and poverty.
“It is in this regard that the NHRC welcomes the arrests of leaders of Ansaru, a deadly terrorist organization responsible for gross human rights violations against Nigerians.
“As we salute the courage and gallantry of our intelligence and armed forces, we call on all sectors of security and law enforcement to rise to the responsibility of safeguarding the human rights of Nigerians facing attacks in Benue, Plateau, Niger, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Borno states—all of whom, according to our July dashboard, are experiencing dire security situations,” Ojukwu added.
Urging security agencies to reaffirm their commitment to professionalism and respect for human rights, Ojukwu called on the government to address the root causes of violations, including poverty, impunity, and weak institutional responses.
In his remarks, Senior Human Rights Advisor to the Commission, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna, said the data was sourced from complaints received in 36 states and the FCT, as well as from the Human Rights Observatory, a virtual setup that receives human rights-related information in real time.
The United Nations, represented by the Senior Human Rights Advisor to the UN Resident Coordinator, Adwoa Kufour, stated it would continue to support the NHRC in bringing human rights issues in the country to the forefront for urgent action.
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