NHRC Raises Alarm Over Human Rights Abuses, 406,000 Complaints Recorded in October

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the rising number of human rights violations across Nigeria, revealing that it received more than 406,000 complaints and monitored over 160 incidents of rights abuses in October 2025 alone.

Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (OFR, SAN, FICMC), made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja while presenting the October 2025 Human Rights Situation Dashboard, a monthly evidence-based report used to track patterns of human rights violations nationwide.

The Dashboard, now in its 22nd month, serves as a tool for policy guidance, advocacy, and public accountability, offering detailed analysis of complaints received and incidents observed through the NHRC’s network of 38 state offices and its Human Rights Observatory.

“The Dashboard has become an indispensable tool for evidence-based advocacy, policy direction, and public accountability,” Ojukwu said. “It provides a mirror to the state of our human rights situation as we continue to confront conflict, insecurity, and criminality.”

According to the NHRC, 406,088 complaints were received in October, reflecting persistent issues around arbitrary detention, police misconduct, sexual and gender-based violence, access to justice, and violations of civil liberties.

Although the Commission recorded a slight drop in killings and abductions compared to September which Ojukwu described as a possible sign of improved security he said the overall picture remains grim, with “hundreds of lives lost in coordinated attacks across Niger, Borno, Plateau, Kaduna, Kogi, and Kwara States.”

“Farmers, herders, women, children, and entire communities have suffered attacks and displacements,” he lamented. “These are not statistics; they are Nigerian mothers, fathers, and children whose dignity has been violated.”

Ojukwu called for urgent intervention by both state and non-state actors, stressing that “the protection of human rights is inseparable from national stability and development.”

The NHRC chief highlighted growing concerns around suicide, extra-judicial killings, torture, inhumane treatment in schools, and the violation of fundamental freedoms such as movement, assembly, and religion.

He said such violations, while often overshadowed by insecurity, erode public trust in institutions and must be addressed through timely reporting, accountability, and reform.

Dr. Ojukwu also weighed in on recent diplomatic tensions following U.S. threats to intervene in Nigeria’s internal affairs over the reported killing of Christians by extremists.

While acknowledging that religiously motivated killings have occurred, he urged for a more nuanced understanding of Nigeria’s conflict dynamics.

“It is true that conflicts and insurgency in Nigeria have led to killings by religious extremists targeting Christian civilians,” he noted. “But it is important to highlight that citizens from other faiths have also been victims.”

Ojukwu stressed that the Nigerian government’s constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property as enshrined in Section 14(2) of the 1999 Constitution must remain paramount.

He, however, cautioned against external interference, insisting that terrorism and violent extremism are complex internal challenges requiring cooperation, not threats.

“Boko Haram and ISWAP have the ideology of Islamising Nigeria,” he explained. “They believe some Nigerian Muslims are not true Muslims and should be killed like Christians. The common enemy here is Boko Haram, who is killing both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria for religious reasons.”

He called on the international community particularly the United States to support Nigeria’s counterterrorism and peacebuilding efforts instead of issuing punitive warnings.

“Rather than threats, what Nigeria needs is partnership and mutual respect,” he said. “Only through collaboration can we end terrorism and secure the lives and liberties of all Nigerians.”

Reaffirming the Commission’s independence and objectivity, Ojukwu said the NHRC remains guided by the Paris Principles, which emphasize impartiality, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law.

He urged all stakeholders government agencies, the media, civil society, and international partners — to interpret human rights data responsibly and recognize the complex realities shaping Nigeria’s security environment.

“The Dashboard is a tool for awareness, advocacy, and action not an instrument of division or blame,” he stressed. “Only through collective responsibility can we uphold the dignity and rights of every person.”

Ojukwu also appreciated the NHRC’s partners including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the Government of Norway for supporting the Tripartite Partnership Programme (TPP) that powers the Commission’s human rights monitoring work.

He commended the dedication of NHRC’s state and FCT offices for gathering the data and the media for amplifying the Commission’s voice.

The October Dashboard underscores a paradox in Nigeria’s human rights landscape: a gradual reduction in overt insecurity metrics such as killings and abductions, yet a surge in institutional violations and socio-economic distress indicators like suicide and police misconduct.

Analysts say the NHRC’s data-driven approach has made the Commission one of the few government institutions providing consistent, verifiable insight into the intersection of security, justice, and governance.

As Ojukwu concluded, the human rights situation remains a test of Nigeria’s democratic maturity:

“Our shared commitment to justice and dignity,” he said, “remains the foundation upon which Nigeria can thrive.”

NHRC Raises Alarm Over Human Rights Abuses, 406,000 Complaints Recorded in October

Michika monarch Prof Gadiga commends Marwa, seeks partnership with NDLEA

By: Michael Mike

Mbege Ka Michika, Adamawa state, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Bulus Luka Gadiga has commended the leadership qualities of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Buba Marwa (rtd) just as he assured of his kingdom’s preparedness to collaborate with NDLEA in the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

The Royal Father gave the commendation and assurance on Monday when he paid courtesy visit to Marwa, who is an indigene of Michika, at the Agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja.

The Mbege Ka Michika noted that Marwa has for years contributed immensely towards the development of the Michika in terms of provision of infrastructure, scholarships and others. According to him, “we’re here to appreciate all the support you have given us and to express our support for the agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to eradicate illicit drugs, which you have been doing very, very effectively. Your efforts are visible for all to see and we’re grateful to God for the leadership qualities He has bestowed on you that have made you a household name not only in our kingdom but all over Nigeria”

He said as a seasoned administrator, the Michika community will continue to count on Marwa’s knowledge and wealth of experience in the effort to further develop the town and empower the youth population. He disclosed that as part of efforts to partner with the Agency, he had sent letters to churches and mosques to tell everyone that the kingdom will not tolerate drug abuse and trafficking. He added that the kingdom is open to more collaboration with NDLEA in the areas of sensitization and enforcement of drug laws.

In his welcome remarks, Marwa congratulated the monarch for his well-deserved appointment into the exalted stool, while expressing appreciation for the consideration of making him one of the first set of indigenes to be conferred with a chieftaincy title.

He noted that the drug scourge is a challenge in every community and everyone must rise to support ongoing efforts. “We appreciate the support that Your Majesty has rendered and continue to render to the NDLEA Command in Michika in various ways, especially in logistics. We hope this example can be copied by other royal fathers. We also appreciate your understanding of the fight against illicit drugs; it’s not for NDLEA alone, it’s the whole of society, the government, traditional institutions, religious leaders, churches, mosques, communities and everyone.

“This is why we continue to appeal to people especially our youths to desist from the use of illicit drugs because it is bad for health, families, and for our communities. So, we will continue to appreciate Your Majesty’s contributions and urge you to set up a drug control committee within your domain that can be interacting with us day to day”, Marwa stated.

Other members of the monarch’s entourage include: Gen. Bitrus Kangye (rtd); Ambassador Ibrahim Mohammed Bashir; Dr. John Quaghe; and Halima Buba.

Michika monarch Prof Gadiga commends Marwa, seeks partnership with NDLEA

At COP 30, Nigeria Demands Boost In Global Financing To Restore, Protect Nature

** VP Shettima says country taking steps to restore climate, nature, development balance with $3bn financing

By: Our Reporter

Nigeria has implored the international community to significantly increase global financing to protect and restore nature’s economic value through predictable, equitable, and accessible funding mechanisms.

According to Nigerian Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, since forests, landscapes, and oceans are shared resources that are outside the jurisdiction of any single nation, their protection requires global solidarity.

Senator Shettima stated Nigeria’s position in Belem, Brazil, where he represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at a high-level thematic session titled “Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans,” on the margins of the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) being held in that South American country.

The VP regretted that while nature is probably the most critical infrastructure in the world, it has long been treated as a commodity to exploit rather than an asset to invest in, even as he said Nigeria is solidly driven by this knowledge “to integrate nature-positive investments into” its climate finance architecture.

“Through our National Carbon Market Framework and Climate Change Fund, we aim to mobilise up to three billion US dollars annually in climate finance. These resources will be reinvested in community-led reforestation, blue carbon projects, and sustainable agriculture.

“We call on our global partners to recognise the economic value of nature and to channel significant finance towards protecting and restoring it through predictable, equitable, and accessible funding mechanisms,” he declared.

Senator Shettima contended that the Global South countries that “have contributed least to this crisis, are today paying its highest price,” insisting that for climate justice to be seen as well served, nations that have benefited more “from centuries of extraction must now lead in restoration”.

Accordingly, he called on the global community to increase grant-based finance, operationalise Blue Carbon Markets, and implement debt-for-nature swaps to enable developing countries to invest in conservation.

“We urge the international community to scale up grant-based finance for nature-based solutions, implement debt-for-nature swaps that free developing countries to invest in conservation, operationalise Blue Carbon Markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and strengthen community-led governance so that indigenous peoples, farmers, and fisherfolk are rewarded for their stewardship rather than displaced by it,” he stated.

The Nigerian Vice President said countries that took their forests and oceans for granted had always paid dearly for it, noting that it is the reason why Nigeria will boldly “sit in the front row of any global forum where these twin determinants of ecological order are being discussed.

“We, too, are under siege. We see the signs of danger in deforestation, desertification, illegal mining, coastal erosion, and rising sea levels within our borders. The Sahara advances by nearly one kilometre each year, displacing communities and eroding livelihoods. Each piece of land these threats overcome invites conflict into human lives, compounding our development challenges,” he maintained.

VP Shettima told world leaders and other participants at the high-level session that while Nigeria’s Climate Change Act 2021 enshrines nature-based solutions as a legal obligation of the state, the nation is “taking bold, coordinated steps to restore balance between climate, nature, and development.”

He continued: “Our National Council on Climate Change provides the institutional backbone for integrating climate action into all sectors of governance. We are implementing the Great Green Wall Initiative, reforesting degraded lands across eleven frontline states, planting over ten million trees and creating thousands of green jobs for our youth and women.

“Through our National Afforestation Programme and Forest Landscape Restoration Plan, we aim to restore more than two million hectares of degraded land by 2030. We have also launched our Marine and Blue Economy Policy to harness the vast potential of our seas sustainably — promoting climate-smart fisheries, coastal protection, and marine biodiversity conservation.”

Senator Shettima reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with partners across the globe to “advance a global agenda where climate action becomes synonymous with nature restoration and human prosperity.”

He vehemently rejected the “portrayal of Africa as a mere victim of climate change,” arguing that it “is an outdated narrative” about a continent that is also a source of its solutions.

The Nigerian Vice President listed Africa’s rainforests, mangroves, peatlands, and oceans as some of the planet’s largest untapped carbon sinks, saying young people in the continent are also “the world’s greatest untapped source of innovation and resolve.

“Nigeria believes that COP30 must mark the beginning of a new compact — one that recognises Africa’s ecosystems as global assets deserving of global investment and protection. We invite all partners to join Nigeria and the African Union in advancing the African Nature Finance Framework, designed to unlock private capital for reforestation, ecosystem restoration, and blue economy development across the continent,” he added.

At COP 30, Nigeria Demands Boost In Global Financing To Restore, Protect Nature