The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday disclosed that it recorded 384,196 reports of human rights violations in October across Nigeria, an increase of 13.4 per cent from the 338,810 cases recorded in September.
The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, presented the findings at the commission's headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday. He said every complaint represents a person, a family, or a community whose rights and dignity need protection.
"Our responsibility is not simply to document these complaints, but to ensure that the information gathered informs appropriate intervention as well as effective remedy," he stated.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that "displacement does not deprive individuals and families of their dignity, security, and access to basic rights."
Across many states, many Nigerians live under poor conditions in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps after fleeing their homes due to terrorists' attacks, banditry, and other threats of violence. The complaints by IDPs reflect a systemic rights issue, social marginalisation, institutional neglect, and discriminatory barriers affecting displaced communities in Nigeria.
Complaints due to insecurity
Other issues of concern highlighted in the report include insecurity, reports of killings, armed attacks, and abductions. The commission's Human Rights Observatory documented incidents involving attacks on farming communities, travellers, women, traditional leaders, and security personnel.
The incidents were particularly concerning in parts of Taraba, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, and Plateau State, among other locations.
Mr Ojukwu stressed that the reported incidents are not merely security concerns but also have "direct humanitarian implications." He said, "They affect the right to life, liberty, and dignity, and security of the person. They disrupt livelihoods, restrict freedom of movement, and expose children and mothers."
The commission reiterates that the protection of lives and property is an environmental responsibility of the state.
Mr Ojukwu also encouraged political actors to exercise restraint and conduct themselves within the ambit of electoral laws and human rights.
As the 2027 elections draw near, "we should not lose focus on the fact that elections, voting process and outcomes reflect the interplay of various human rights."
Dashboard details
Senior Human Rights Adviser to the NHRC, Hilary Ogbonna, noted that the human rights complaints recorded by the commission in 2026 have crossed the 2.5 million mark.
The commission recorded 116,739 complaints from the North Central, 65,309 from the South West, 63,120 from the North West, 50,902 from the South South, 49,618 from the North East, and 38,508 from the South East.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Benue, Kaduna, Borno, Plateau, Kano, Rivers, Imo, and Niger were among the top ten states with the highest violation complaints. This is the first time Lagos and Rivers appear among the top ten states in 2026.
Mr Ogbonna attributed this to the tension with the upcoming elections, particularly in Rivers State.
The ten states accounted for 52 per cent of the entire complaints recorded in October.
Women's right violations
The commission recorded 632 complaints of women denied access to children, 591 abandonment cases, 339 trafficking cases, and 376 forced marriages.
Mr Ogbonna noted an upsurge in men abandoning their wives.
"Month after month, we try to ask ourselves, even in the commission, what could be the reason for this. It's not our mandate to go and look for white men abandoning their marriages, but when it becomes a human rights issue, it gives us cause for worry," he said.
Six rapes, 18 sexual violence incidents, and 1,873 domestic violence incidents were recorded in October. According to Mr Ogbonna, each case represents a woman who has been given a permanent scar.
Child rights violations
Similarly, child abandonment in October rose by over 250 per cent to 2,479, with Mr Ogbonna describing the trend as a human rights breach.
Also, 2,093 children were forced into marriage, 2,141 cases of sexual abuse, 2,581 were denied their rights to education, and 1,681 were trafficked.
Cases resolved
Among the entire figures recorded in October, the NHRC resolved 1,455 cases. The commission also visited 108 places of detention, five military formations, and summoned the police 45 times.
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Source: Premium Times