NHRC records 354,997 human rights complaints, 382 killings

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recorded 354,997 complaints across Nigeria in July 2026, with 382 killings and 230 cases of abduction documented during the month.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while presenting the NHRC’s July 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard.

Ojukwu said the monthly dashboard was part of the Commission’s commitment to transparency, accountability and evidence-based monitoring of the human rights situation in Nigeria.

He said the figures, combined with findings from the Commission’s Human Rights Observatory, presented a sobering picture of the scale and nature of human rights concerns across the country.

According to him, the dashboard provides insights into the concentration of violations, emerging trends and areas requiring urgent national attention.

Ojukwu expressed particular concern over violent violations affecting women and children, noting that the Commission’s observatory recorded 25 cases of sexual violence against children and minors in July, warning that such violations could have lasting consequences for the physical and mental health of child survivors.

The NHRC boss also raised concerns over the growing number of human rights violations taking place in the digital space as Nigerians increasingly work, transact, communicate and organise online. He identified online harassment, cyberbullying, data exploitation, digital surveillance, blackmail and extortion, as well as the use of digital platforms to incite hatred and violence, as growing threats to human rights.

Ojukwu said the rights to freedom of expression and association, dignity and other fundamental rights must be protected as Nigeria navigates the increasing influence of social media and artificial intelligence.

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He also called on politicians, religious leaders and traditional rulers to avoid hateful rhetoric and divisive politics, particularly as the country approaches future elections, warning that such rhetoric could negatively affect the enjoyment of human rights.

Presenting the July dashboard, the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the Commission, Dr Hillary Ogbona, said the NHRC completed investigations into 10,084 complaints during the month, adding that the Commission visited 124 police stations, correctional centres and other places of detention, issued 26 summonses and letters to the police, and visited 10 military formations across the country.

Ogbona further disclosed that the Commission recorded 43 deaths resulting from road accidents, 544 cases of child abandonment and 24 killings of armed forces and law enforcement personnel during the month.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA), Funke Adeoye, commended the NHRC for its efforts to strengthen human rights protection in Nigeria.

Adeoye spoke shortly before the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between HBBA and the NHRC.

She said the partnership would formalise ongoing collaboration between the organisations, particularly in protecting human rights, the digital space and civic space.

According to her, the partnership will also cover issues relating to pretrial detention, freedom of expression, freedom of association and other human rights violations.

She said the collaboration includes work under a justice technical project, pointing out that complaints concerning violations in the digital space had increased significantly over the past few years, making stronger collaboration among human rights organisations increasingly important.