The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Tony Ojukwu (SAN), has raised concern over what it describes as an alarming spike in human rights violations across Nigeria, revealing that it received 261,483 complaints in April 2025 alone.
Ojukwu made this disclosure on Friday, 16 May, 2025 while decrying the increasing wave of violence, particularly in the Middle Belt region, which he said accounted for the highest number of killings.
“In April 2025, there were 261,483 complaints. Why this number is significant: it represents only the visible portion of a much deeper situation,” Ojukwu said.
He noted that the most prevalent forms of human rights abuse during the month were killings and kidnappings, with Benue, Plateau, and Borno states emerging as epicenters of the crisis.
“The killings in Plateau and Benue states, as well as the resurgence of Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks in Borno, have left hundreds of citizens injured and dead,” he said.
“The crisis in the Middle Belt is not new but has continued for decades without a solution.”
According to the Commission’s data, the Middle Belt region especially Benue, Plateau, and Borno accounted for 60 percent of all killings recorded nationwide in April.
Complaints from the region alone made up 35 percent of the national total, reflecting a 20 percent increase from March 2025.
The NHRC said it successfully concluded 863 complaints and petitions related to human rights violations during the period, but stressed that the surge in cases far outweighs what is being addressed.
Ojukwu called for urgent intervention from all levels of government to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of human rights abuses.
“We call for independent, impartial, prompt investigation of all the cases stated. Support services for all victims. Accountability for all perpetrators. Sustained investment in all peacebuilding,” he said.
Reiterating the Commission’s stance, Ojukwu added: “The right to life is non-negotiable. It must be protected at all costs.”
He urged the media, civil society, and the international community to amplify the voices of victims and ensure sustained pressure for justice and reform.
