…Receives 422,942 Complaints in November Alone
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised serious concerns over worsening insecurity and widespread human rights abuses across Nigeria, revealing that it received a staggering 422,942 complaints in November 2025 alone.
Speaking in Abuja at the presentation of the Commission’s November Human Rights Situation Dashboard, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, described the figures as a reflection of deepening human suffering rather than mere statistics.
According to the report, more than 800 abductions were recorded within the month, including the kidnapping of over 55 farmers from their farmlands. Travellers, students, and worshippers were also among those abducted, underscoring the scale and spread of insecurity nationwide.
Ojukwu noted that November marked one of the most troubling periods for school abductions since the Chibok incident, citing the recent kidnappings of schoolchildren in Maga and Papiri communities in Kebbi and Niger states. He warned that attacks on education threaten not only individual rights but the future stability and development of the country.
He noted that beyond kidnappings, the Commission documented grave cases of child trafficking, gang rape, and sexual abuse of minors, describing such violations as devastating crimes that leave lasting trauma and erode the moral foundation of society.
The dashboard also highlighted persistent reports of police extortion, unlawful detention, and abuse of power, alongside harassment and intimidation of journalists and civil society actors. The NHRC cautioned that continued restriction of civic space poses a serious risk to democratic governance.
In several states, the Commission observed an increase in domestic violence, child abandonment, denial of education, and inheritance rights violations, particularly affecting women, children, and the elderly.
Summarising the findings, Ojukwu identified a troubling pattern marked by growing impunity, shrinking civic space, disproportionate violence against women and children, and communities living in constant fear.
While reaffirming the NHRC’s commitment to documentation, engagement, and accountability, he stressed that the fight against human rights abuses requires collective action. He called on all tiers of government, traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups, and citizens to unite against violence and injustice.
“As a nation, we must reach a point where no child fears going to school, no farmer fears working the land, and no woman or girl fears violence,” Dr. Ojukwu said, urging Nigerians to transform human rights from ideals into everyday realities.
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