The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sounded a deafening alarm over a severe deterioration in Nigeria's human rights landscape, revealing that a staggering 422,942 complaints of violations were reported across the country in November 2025 alone.
A Month of Unprecedented Kidnappings and Violence
Presenting the November 2025 Human Rights Situation Dashboard in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, described the figures as a nation "crying for help." He pinpointed insecurity, impunity, and a rapidly shrinking civic space as existential threats to Nigeria's future.
A central pillar of the crisis is the epidemic of abductions. The NHRC documented over 800 kidnappings in November, marking it as the most troubling month for such crimes since the infamous Chibok schoolgirls incident. The victims cut across all segments of society:
- More than 55 farmers seized from their fields.
- Travellers abducted on major highways.
- Students taken from schools and worshippers kidnapped during prayers.
Ojukwu highlighted the particularly alarming abductions of schoolchildren in Maga and Papiri communities within Kebbi and Niger states. He stressed that attacks on education constitute a direct assault on Nigeria's future. "Education is not just a right; it is the foundation of civilisation. When access to education is threatened, we undermine our ability to defeat violent extremism, poverty and inequality," he declared.
Systemic Abuse: From Sexual Violence to Police Extortion
The commission's grim catalog extends far beyond kidnappings. Its dashboard detailed harrowing cases of child trafficking, gang rapes, and the sexual abuse of minors. Ojukwu lamented that these acts inflict lifelong scars on both victims and the broader society, with children who should be protected instead facing extreme violence and exploitation.
Further eroding public trust are persistent reports of abuse by state actors. The NHRC highlighted ongoing issues of police extortion, unlawful detentions, and blatant abuse of power. This environment of repression is compounded by the continued harassment and intimidation of journalists and activists, leading Ojukwu to warn that the shrinking civic space poses a direct risk to Nigerian democracy.
In several states, the commission also noted a rise in domestic violence, child abandonment, denial of education, and the wrongful denial of inheritance rights. These abuses, often occurring behind closed doors, disproportionately impact women, children, and the elderly.
A Call for Collective Action to End Impunity
Summarising the findings, the NHRC boss identified a disturbing national pattern: growing impunity, increasing attacks on civic freedoms, and heightened violence against the most vulnerable. "These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of deeper systemic problems," he stated.
While reaffirming the Commission's role in documenting violations and engaging security agencies, Ojukwu issued a forceful demand for accountability. "To those who commit these violations—whether armed groups, individuals or state actors—the era of impunity must come to an end," he declared.
He called for urgent, collective action from government at all levels, traditional and religious leaders, civil society, and every citizen. His vision is for a Nigeria where children learn without fear, farmers work safely, roads are travelled freely, and women and girls live without violence. "Our goal is a Nigeria where human rights are not mere expressions, but a lived reality for every person," Ojukwu concluded.
