November 13, (THEWILL) – The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has reported a sharp rise in killings, kidnappings and incidents of abandoned children in Nigeria.
Presenting its data in Abuja, on Wednesday, at a civil society consultation on human rights, NHRC’s Rights Adviser, Hillary Ogbona, called for an urgent need for decisive action to protect citizens, especially the most vulnerable, from a worsening wave of violence and neglect.
Lamenting the surge in violent crimes, the Commission noted that in “January 2024 alone, Nigeria recorded 150 kidnappings and 55 killings, alongside 15 cases of hate speech.
“February brought a surge, with 215 kidnappings, 106 killings, and 550 cases of child abandonment. By March, the numbers reached unprecedented levels, with 499 kidnappings, 172 murders, and 323 abandoned children. By July, 3,300 children had been abandoned, while 37 law enforcement officers lost their lives. September data also showed 113 kidnappings, 141 murders, and 2,723 child abandonment cases—all pointing to a dire security and rights situation nationwide.”
Expressing grave concern over the escalating numbers, Dr Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, said, “The statistics reflect an undeniable crisis in public safety and human rights in Nigeria.”
Ojukwu noted recent events that illustrate Nigeria’s deteriorating human rights environment, including the #EndBadGovernance protests and the arraignment of minors in Abuja. He also pointed to findings from the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, which further underscore the country’s deep-rooted human rights issues.
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