Michael Olugbode in Abuja

About 170,000 complaints of human rights violations were received across the country in January, the National Human Rights Commission has revealed.
Speaking at the presentation of the January 2025 Human Rights Situation Dashboard yesterday, the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, said though this was a decrease from the figure in December, 2024, it is much higher than what was recorded in January 2024.

He said, “This month (January) we received 169,850 complaints from our 38 offices, a stark reminder that human rights violations persist in diverse forms and at an alarming scale. Each of these complaints represents a person, a family, or a community seeking justice, accountability, and relief.”

He explained that the 169,850 complaints represent over 100 per cent decrease from December 2024 complaints and over 100 per cent increase compared to January 2024.
According to him, “Our duty is to ensure that these voices are not just heard, but that tangible action follows. The complaints and our observatory show us that the human rights ecosystem continues to be challenging. In the North-east, we are seeing the resurgence of Boko Haram and in the North-west banditry and insurgency continue to challenge our communities. Violence and criminalities in the South-east are assuming alarming dimensions impacting on human rights.

“While our efforts have led to significant interventions, the persistence of these violations raises critical questions: Are our systems strong enough to prevent recurring abuses? Are we bridging the gaps between violations and meaningful remedies? Are we holding perpetrators accountable while protecting survivors from further harm? What is our policy for the protection of civilians and mitigation of harm during conflict?”
Ojukwu added, “As we engage with this month’s trends, let us focus on strengthening preventive measures, closing protection gaps, and enhancing collaboration with state and non-state actors to reinforce human rights protections at every level. Our responsibility is not just to document human rights violations but to drive real, lasting change in governance, security, and social justice. It is our fervent hope that this dashboard will ignite the required change to build the Nigeria of our dreams.

“Our dear partners, colleagues and gentlemen of the media, I would like to reiterate that 2025 is a milestone year for the National Human Rights Commission as it marks its 30th anniversary of its establishment, having been established in 1995. We have witnessed over the last three decades, a human rights trajectory which indicates progress even though at a slow pace. But we must not give up as governments at national and state levels continue to adopt legal policy and institutional frameworks to achieve human rights for all.”

“The revival of the local government National Human Rights Commission system through their new autonomy is a game changer. It is pertinent that the role of the ‘Office of the Citizen’ should not be jettisoned. For every successful society, the role of the civil society to hold government to account and the role of the media to ‘torchlight’ governance and shine light on our leaders can never be over-emphasised.”