The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has disclosed that it received a staggering 275,256 complaints of human rights violations across Nigeria in the month of May alone.
This was made known by the Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu (SAN), during the presentation of NHRC’s May dashboard report on human rights violations.
Ojukwu said the complaints ranged from brutal attacks in the insurgency-ravaged North-East to widespread incidents of sexual violence and forced displacements triggered by natural disasters.
“When over a quarter of a million people turn to the National Human Rights Commission in just one month, the message is loud and clear: too many Nigerians feel unprotected, unheard, and unseen,” he said.
The NHRC boss raised concern over what he described as the “normalisation of distress” in the country, stating that many Nigerians no longer expect redress or accountability for human rights abuses.
“This is a dangerous place for any society to find itself,” he warned.
Highlighting recent tragedies, Ojukwu pointed to the devastating floods in Mokwa, Niger State, which claimed over 200 lives, with many others still unaccounted for. He called for urgent, coordinated efforts toward disaster preparedness and response.
Ojukwu also decried the dire humanitarian situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), noting that most IDPs in Nigeria face systemic violations of their rights to safety, dignity, and livelihood.
“Our collaboration with UNHCR has highlighted the grim reality of inadequate shelter, limited access to healthcare, and absence of basic amenities among displaced populations,” he said.
In response to the worsening humanitarian crisis, Ojukwu said the NHRC, in partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), has launched a quarterly dashboard to track and report on human rights and internal displacement across the country.
According to him, in just three months—February to April—the commission documented over 40,000 new displacements and 1,460 complaints from IDPs, refugees, returnees, and asylum seekers.
He acknowledged the support of the UN system, local partners, and human rights monitors operating in 34 local government areas across 11 states, describing their input as vital to the success of the initiative.
The NHRC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding human rights and called on all stakeholders to work collaboratively in reversing the alarming trend of violations and displacements across Nigeria.
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