---As ES picks holes in Mondays sit-at-home order by IPOB in South East
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) dashboard on Tuesday disclosed over 3.7 million complaints in 2025 amidst widespread killings, banditry, child abandonment etc.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu OFR, SAN in his speech during the presentation of the monthly dashboard decried the situation and urged for a collective action to stem the tide of human rights violations across the country.
The learned Silk stated that the dashboard should serve as a prevention mechanism just as he traced traced violations to roots of inequality, joblessness, frail institutions, and injustice.
Looking to 2026, all hope is not lost as the Executive Secretary stated the resolve of the Commission to fortify early warnings and encourage security forces to rights-compliant operations.
The Commission is also set to fling justice's doors wide for women, children, and the vulnerable populations, believing technology would sharpen monitoring and evaluation.
"Data alone does not change lives, action does," Ojukwu said, as he urged stakeholders including members of the diplomatic community, the media, MDAs to deepen their partnership with the NHRC to tackle human rights violations.
While responding to questions posed by journalists during the event, Dr. Ojukwu condemned the sit-at-home directive in South-east Nigeria by IPOB agitators saying that no one has the right to restrict other people's movement or right to engage in commercial activities.
According to the erudite lawyer, those who wish to sit-at-home on their own volution should not force other people to observe the same.
He was apparently responding to a question linked to the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo threatening to close shops belonging to traders who close their shops on Mondays in the State in observance of the controversial sit-at-home order by IPOB.
He observed that the order paralises economic, educational, social and cultural activities in the zone, saying that trade and commerce are major activities in the area.
Presenting the December 2025 dashboard and the 2026 outlook on human rights the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the Executive Secretary, Mr. Hilary Ogbonna stepped forward with the highlights of the various violations according to thematic and geographical areas.
Complaints had exploded past 3 million, cresting at a staggering 3,724,822 across 36 NHRC State offices in addition to the Headquarters and Abuja Metropolitan Office.
The figures chronicled shattered livelihoods, evicted homes, denied educations, and crumbling healthcare. Gender-based violence raged. Child rights crumbled. Banditry and insurgency cast long shadows.
December 2025 etched the horror deepest: 670 children abandoned to the streets. The NHRC Observatory tallied 246 killings, of this 149 felled by bandits' bullets, 29 by Boko Haram/ISWAP's weapons, 44 by faceless gunmen, and the rest lost to chaos.
Yet amid the toll, a quiet victory emerged. The Commission resolved 52,489 complaints, stitching fragments of justice back together.
Ogbonna didn't stop at lamentation. He demanded a lifeline such as a National Policy for the Protection of Civilians in Conflict. "Government must commit to shielding everyone," he implored.
The protection will encompass children, ambitious students, elders, women, men, and the most vulnerable.
Turning to the future, Ogbonna outlined Nigeria's 2026 human rights outlook. He flagged risks from persistent insecurity, banditry, and communal clashes.
These could be tackled through strengthened community policing and local security architecture, rollout of early warning systems, improved religious freedom, electoral reform, and enhanced political plurality.
In a show of solidarity, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator's Representative Ajuwa Kufour praised the effort of the Commission . "The dashboard covers the reality of Nigeria," she to said, "charting a course for better human rights protection."
The Commission can count on UN support, she affirmed.
Meanwhile, Police Service Commission Representative Mr. Babatunde Baba highlighted partnerships. The NHRC has cooperated closely with the Commission, he noted, adding that police officers who violate human rights in their duties are brought to book.
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