By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decried the rising spate of human rights violations in Nigeria.
Senior Adviser to the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr Hilary Ogbonna expressed the concerns of the Commission at the inauguration of the maiden edition of human rights dashboard and observatory.
According to Ogbonna, the observatory is to record the daily human rights complaints by Nigerians across the 36 states and the FCT.
” Nigeria faces multiple challenges in the protection and enjoyment of human rights for the citizens.
” Insecurity expressed in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other activities of non-state actors have posed challenges to the enjoyment of human rights across Nigeria.
” Economic, fiscal and monetary reforms introduced by the new administration have increased socio-economic inequalities as Nigeria continue to battle with multi-dimensional poverty, impacting on the enjoyment of human rights ” Ogbonna asserted
The dashboard according to Ogbonna, is a monthly analysis and graphical
presentation of human rights situation in Nigeria.
He added that the Human Rights Observatory was for monitoring, reporting and analysis of the human rights violations across Nigeria, stating that it was also for the documentation, analysis and dissemination of Human rights complaints .
Presenting the dashboard, Ogbonna expressed regrets that the North-Central zone topped in rights violations with Abuja having 382 out of 1,147 complaints in January.
He disclosed that the figures represented only a fraction of rights violations in the country as a large number of other violations were unreported.
In the distribution of complaints in January, domestic violence recorded 528, state actor 84, private sector 64, non state actors 27 and right to life recorded 40.
He added that North West had the highest number of domestic violence in the country.
Domestic violence, according to him, included wife battery, rape, child abandonment and assault.
According Ogbonna, the dashboard is the general human rights violations not reported but captured and analysed, adding that increase in kidnapping with children and young people was soft target.
Ogbonna lamented that the situation in Plateau and attack on traditional institution like what happened in Ekiti State were of concern to the commission.
“Based on our analysis, 150 kidnapping cases were recorded in January; 55 killings, 15 hate speeches and killing of law enforcement agents 7,” he said.
He stressed that 10 children were victims of torture, pointing out that NHRC had the mandate to investigate human rights violations in the country.
” Nigeria continues to face multiple challenges in protection and enjoyment of human rights in view of the rising in insecurity which are terrorism, kidnapping, banditary among others.
” Multi dimensional poverty, economic hardships are all impacting on the enjoyment of human rights, ” he said.
He stated that kidnappings and other activities of non-state actors posed challenges to the enjoyment of human rights across the country.
Ogbonna, therefore, urged the public to report cases of violations of human rights to the commission in its offices spread in the 36 states of the federation and FCT, stressing that the report is going to be evaluated on monthly basis.
