Nigeria, a country brimming with potential, is experiencing a worsening human rights crisis. From government crackdowns on dissent and free expression to rampant police brutality and extra-judicial killings, the country is on a dangerous path to repression and systematic violations that endanger citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms.
Cries for justice are growing loud in Nigeria, but instead of soothing support, they are increasingly met with silence, intimidation, and violence. A surge in human rights violations has cast a pall over the country, prompting harsh warnings from human rights advocates and painting a bleak picture of a society struggling under the weight of poverty, impunity, and governance failure.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recently issued a chilling report: over 320,000 cases of human rights violations were reported in June alone, highlighting the Nigerian state’s growing fragility and erosion of basic rights.
“We received 327,154 complaints in June, reflecting another sharp increase in human rights violations, each one a desperate plea for justice and a stark reminder of how much work remains to be done,” said Dr. Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, during the presentation of the June 2025 Human Rights Situation Dashboard in Abuja. His words, heavy with concern, were a stark indictment of the current situation.
Dr. Ojukwu lamented the reports’ recurring nature, emphasising the urgency of the situation. “Every month, when we come together to present this human rights dashboard, we are confronted with the sobering reality of those affected by violence, injustice, discrimination, and systemic neglect,” he said.
“These figures compel us to reflect deeply on our collective responsibility and ask the difficult question: are we doing enough? The events of June 2025 call for not only reflection, but also an honest and timely response.”
The NHRC report detailed several particularly heinous incidents that heighten the severity of the crisis. Among them were the brutal attacks on the Yelewata and Dauda communities in Benue State’s Guma Local Government Area, which killed over 200 people. “Fathers, mothers, children, and breadwinners; families ripped apart, livelihoods destroyed, and futures extinguished in moments of senseless brutality,” Dr. Ojukwu described the victims solemnly.
The commission was also deeply concerned about the rise in attacks on law enforcement and local security forces. More than 17 soldiers were allegedly killed in coordinated attacks in Kaduna and Niger states, further destabilising already fragile regions. The massacre of more than 40 Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members in Ruggar Chida was another devastating blow.
“Their deaths leave a void in local security structures, making civilians even more vulnerable to more violence,” Dr. Ojukwu noted and stressed the importance of community-based forces in protecting vulnerable populations.
The NHRC report also highlighted the growing insecurity on Nigerian highways, making travel a terrifying gamble. “In June alone, more than 50 travellers were kidnapped along major transit routes in Kogi and Benue states,” Dr. Ojukwu said. “These are not isolated criminal acts; they directly violate the fundamental rights to free movement, economic participation, and personal dignity.” He emphasised the long-term trauma inflicted on victims and their families, as well as the public’s loss of confidence in road safety.
The NHRC is advocating a multifaceted approach to the crisis, urging the government to implement “decisive and coordinated security interventions.” Dr. Ojukwu also urged civil society and the media to provide “sustained advocacy and amplification of these issues,” as well as increased collaboration with development partners to address the underlying causes of these violations.
“This dashboard must not only serve as a record of tragedies, but also as a catalyst for meaningful and long-term change,” Dr. Ojukwu insisted. “Let us never forget that every complaint documented and statistics recorded in these dashboards represents a Nigerian citizen, a fellow human being looking for justice, safety, and the fulfilment of their basic rights.”
He reaffirmed the National Human Rights Commission’s dedication to its mission, saying the organisation “remains unwavering in its mandate to promote, protect, and enforce human rights throughout Nigeria.”
For human rights lawyers and activists on the ground, the NHRC’s report confirms what they have long observed: a slow but steady erosion of rights fuelled by a combination of factors such as government complicity, elite abuse of power, and law enforcement agencies’ failure to operate within the law.
Kabir Akingbolu, a human rights lawyer, paints a disturbing picture of a system in which the powerful routinely use state institutions to target ordinary citizens. “The rules governing security agencies exist, but they are routinely broken by the so-called big shots in society,” Akingbolu stated. “You see cases where a simple private misunderstanding—like repeatedly texting someone—is blown out of proportion when someone powerful uses the police to label it cyber-bullying, a crime with severe consequences. Law enforcement should protect citizens, not used to harm them.”
He stated that Nigeria’s rising poverty and economic hardship have made citizens more vocal about their dissatisfaction, but instead of addressing these concerns, the government has responded with repression. This, he claimed, is a violation of the government’s constitutional obligation to protect citizens’ rights and ensure their welfare.
Akingbolu also lamented the courts’ slow response to human rights violations. “Human rights cases are supposed to be treated urgently, given priority over other cases, and resolved quickly. However, in practice, the courts delay the cases as they would any other matter. Victims wait indefinitely for justice, and lawyers fighting these cases are frequently treated with contempt.”
He shared personal accounts of how human rights lawyers are harassed and discouraged in the courts. “Some judges look at human rights lawyers as troublemakers, wondering why we bother challenging these violations. It becomes so frustrating that you question whether filing fundamental rights cases is even worthwhile. Many of your cases are repeatedly adjourned without resolution, leaving victims without justice.
Despite these obstacles, Akingbolu urged lawyers to remain dedicated to defending the oppressed, emphasising the significance of pro bono work in safeguarding fundamental rights.
“As lawyers, we have a responsibility to advocate for the voiceless, even if the system frustrates us. We must take on these cases, regardless of whether we are compensated. Many victims of rights violations cannot afford legal representation, so it is our moral and professional responsibility to intervene.”
He calls on the judiciary to uphold its constitutional responsibility and protect citizens’ rights from abuses by both the government and private individuals. “The courts need to stop playing it safe. They should make bold decisions against the government and its agencies when violations occur. Until this happens, human rights violations will continue to escalate. We need a judiciary that is fearless, swift, and equitable.”
Another human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Aborisade, attributes the increase in human rights violations to a fundamental governance failure. “Empirical studies and historical experience show that the higher the level of poverty in a society, the more likely repression,” he said. “Governments that are unable to meet their citizens’ basic existential needs will suppress democratic freedoms out of fear of opposition.”
Aborisade believes that when a government fails to provide for its citizens’ basic needs, such as food, shelter, healthcare, and employment, discontent grows, and in response, the government uses repressive tactics to silence protests and maintain a false sense of stability.
Aborisade criticised President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech, calling it deceptive and disconnected from reality. He used the recent detention of Comrade Andrew Emelieze, coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum, as a concrete example of the government’s hypocrisy.
“What kind of democracy are we talking about when a government claims to tolerate criticism while imprisoning a labour rights activist without due process?” Aborisade asked.
He cautioned that no society can achieve peace by suppressing dissent. “The more you deny people their daily bread, the more they will protest. When they resist, the state’s only response has been brute force, not dialogue. “This is not sustainable.”
Aborisade urged Nigeria’s government to focus on addressing the root causes of unrest, such as poverty, unemployment, and social injustice, rather than using security forces to silence dissent. “We must stop pretending to practise democracy when what we see every day is authoritarianism dressed in democratic language. He warned that repression is not a sign of strength, but rather a symptom of failed governance.
Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of RULAAC, expressed similar concerns, stating that the NHRC’s report “reflects the terrifying scale of human rights violations in Nigeria, and it is unacceptable.” “Instead of protecting citizens, security agencies are the primary violators, illegally detaining individuals, torturing suspects, and violently suppressing dissent. The justice system is weak, and political leaders have been disturbingly silent,” Nwanguma stated.
Legal experts and civil society actors expressed deep concern about Nigeria’s increasing wave of human rights violations, attributing it to impunity, governance failure, and weak accountability mechanisms.
Goddy Uwazurike, a lawyer and President of Credibility Group, identified a growing sense of impunity among violators as a major cause of the increase in abuses. He cited the use of the Cybercrime Act to intimidate citizens and restrict free speech. “Impunity is the rule of the day. Any post I make on Facebook or WhatsApp could land me in prison,” Uwazurike stated.
He painted a bleak picture of how arrests are carried out, comparing them to scenes from action films: heavily armed security agents storming homes, keeping suspects in secret detention facilities, and occasionally charging them in court. “The Human Rights Commission has been in a coma since Prof. Chidi Odinkalu left. The body sees no evil and hears no evil,” he complained.
Adewale Adeoye, Executive Director of Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER), stated that data from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) understates the true scope of violations. “Most cases go unreported, particularly in rural areas,” he explained.
He attributed the surge to poverty, poor governance, the proliferation of armed non-state actors, and a decline in civil society’s role in defending human rights. “Many groups focus solely on state actors, but violations committed by non-state actors are also increasing.”
Adeoye also stated that economic hardship has made it difficult for victims to seek legal redress. “Many poor Nigerians cannot afford lawyers’ fees or even understand their rights. Lack of education is a major factor in their inability to resist or report violations.”
He acknowledged the NHRC’s limited capacity and advocated for greater collaboration with civil society organisations. He emphasised that human rights violations stem from a lack of access to healthcare, food, education, and housing, all of which are directly caused by poor government policies.
Wale Ogunade, a legal practitioner, agreed that Nigeria’s economic crisis has exacerbated the human rights situation. “Security agencies, which should protect citizens, are now exploiting them,” he claimed.
Ogunade described a recent incident in Surulere, Lagos, in which seven young men were arrested in front of their father’s house while chatting at 8 p.m. The police initially demanded N200,000 bail for each of them, a total of N1.4 million. After his intervention, the amount was negotiated down to N100,000. “Fela used to sing about police stations becoming banks. That reality is more obvious now,” he stated.
He described security operatives, including private security agents, as enforcers of illegal activities. “They raid homes without warrants, seize phones, detain people on the streets under the guise of stop-and-frisk, and harass citizens over personal items such as money.”
According to Ogunade, increased media exposure and citizen vigilance can help to curb these excesses. “When people are aware of their rights and are willing to document abuses, it puts pressure on the authorities to act.”
The situation is dire, but hope remains. Experts are advocating a radical shift in strategy, emphasising government accountability, institutional reforms, and citizen empowerment.
“The Nigerian government must urgently end this culture of impunity by prosecuting offenders, empowering oversight bodies such as the NHRC, and ensuring that human rights are upheld in both law and practice,” Nwanguma stated. “We need leadership that protects citizens, not one that allows abuses to occur. Anything less would be a betrayal of the constitution and the people.”
Uwazurike believes that restoring the rule of law, enforcing court orders, and eliminating selective justice are critical steps towards resolving the crisis. “We need a responsible judiciary and punishment for acts of impunity as a deterrent,” he said.
Adeoye emphasised the importance of properly training security personnel, including the Amotekun and Hisbah corps, in human rights and constitutional justice. He advocated for human rights desks in police stations and the army, operational public defender units in the Justice Ministry, and faster judicial processes.
Ogunade encouraged citizens to use social media as a tool for accountability. “Video evidence posted online frequently reaches people with authority who can intervene. In the case of the traditional ruler who humiliated an elderly man, social media came to the rescue.”
He encouraged Nigerians to document and report incidents of abuse. “Once a violation is made public, there is a better chance of justice. Our most effective tools are awareness, vigilance, and solidarity.”
A common theme emerges from all contributions: human rights violations in Nigeria are deeply rooted in systemic dysfunction, including economic hardship, weak governance, impunity, and inexperienced security forces. Respect for human dignity will be restored through constitutional reform, institutional accountability, empowered civil society, citizen vigilance, and responsible governance.
Until these issues are addressed, the voices of the vulnerable will continue to be silenced—not by the law, but by the very institutions designed to protect them. The question remains: will Nigeria rise to the challenge and reaffirm its commitment to human rights, or will it continue to descend into repression? The answer is found in the actions of its leaders, the bravery of its citizens, and the unwavering dedication of those who fight for justice.
By ROLAND OGBONNAYA, TITILOPE JOSEPH, and SEYI TAIWO-OGUNTUASE @TheINDEPENDENT
