Nigeria’s human rights situation deteriorated sharply in November 2025, with 422,942 complaints of violations recorded across the country, according to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Presenting the Commission’s November Human Rights Situation Dashboard in Abuja, the NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, SAN, described the figures as “a cry for help,” warning that worsening insecurity, impunity and shrinking civic space posed serious threats to Nigeria’s future.
The report revealed that over 800 abductions were documented in November alone, marking one of the most troubling periods for kidnappings in recent years.
Victims included farmers taken from their fields, travellers abducted on highways, students seized from schools and worshippers kidnapped during prayers.
Ojukwu singled out the abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger states as particularly alarming, stressing that attacks on education amounted to an assault on the nation’s future.
Beyond kidnappings, the NHRC documented cases of child trafficking, gang rapes and sexual abuse of minors, noting that such violations leave lifelong scars on victims and society.
Ojukwu lamented that children who should be protected were instead being exposed to extreme violence and exploitation, undermining social stability and long-term development.
The dashboard also highlighted persistent reports of police extortion, unlawful detention and abuse of power, alongside harassment and intimidation of journalists and activists.
In several states, the Commission observed rising incidents of domestic violence, child abandonment, denial of education and inheritance rights—abuses that often occur quietly but disproportionately affect women, children and the elderly.
Summarising the findings, Ojukwu warned that the violations were not isolated incidents but symptoms of deeper systemic problems driven by growing impunity.
He called for urgent collective action by government at all levels, traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups and citizens, insisting that accountability must be enforced.
“The era of impunity must come to an end,” he said, urging Nigerians to work together to build a country where schools, farms, roads and homes are safe, and where human rights are a lived reality for all.