The worsening human rights situation in Nigeria came into sharp focus in May as killings, kidnappings, attacks on schoolchildren and a surge in rights violations pushed the number of complaints received by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to a record 268,787, exposing deepening insecurity and social distress across the country.
According to the NHRC’s May 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard, complaints rose by about 2,000 compared to April, with the North Central zone accounting for nearly half of all reported cases nationwide, underscoring the region’s growing vulnerability amid persistent violence and instability.
The Commission painted a grim picture of the country’s human rights landscape, citing mass killings, widespread abductions, sexual violence against children, attacks on schools and the killing of military and security personnel as some of the defining features of May.
The report documented 390 killings and 202 kidnappings during the month, while an additional 92 people lost their lives in road accidents. Plateau State recorded the highest number of killings with 55 deaths, followed by Katsina with 49, Benue with 21, Zamfara with 19 and Yobe with 17.
Among the incidents highlighted by the Commission were deadly bandit attacks in Katsina State, where 17 villagers were reportedly killed in Gwalgoro village in Kankia Local Government Area, while another 16 people were murdered after Juma’at prayers in Kiliya village in Dutsinma Local Government Area.
The dashboard also revealed an alarming rise in attacks targeting children. Cases of rape, defilement, child abandonment, trafficking and denial of access to education featured prominently in the Commission’s records. Among the incidents cited were the alleged defilement of a five-year-old child in Adamawa, the rape of a 17-year-old girl in Yola, the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in Rivers State and the killing of a nine-year-old girl by her stepmother in Enugu State.
Education also came under sustained assault during the month. The NHRC reported that 42 schoolchildren were abducted by suspected insurgents during an attack on Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. The abductees included primary and secondary school pupils as well as children taken from nearby homes.
In Oyo State, armed attackers invaded schools in Yawota and Esiele communities in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting 46 persons, including 39 students and seven teachers, in one of the most audacious attacks on educational institutions during the month.
Beyond physical violence, the Commission recorded a huge volume of complaints relating to discrimination, law enforcement abuses, economic and social rights, labour issues and access to justice. Complaints involving freedom from discrimination topped the thematic categories with more than 100,000 cases, while allegations relating to law enforcement and human dignity exceeded 66,000.
The Federal Capital Territory emerged as the state with the highest share of human rights complaints, accounting for 21 per cent of the top ten states listed by the Commission, followed by Benue and Borno states.
Despite the mounting challenges, the NHRC said it completed 3,560 investigations in May, conducted 107 visits to police stations, correctional facilities and detention centres, issued 32 summonses and letters to the police, and undertook monitoring visits to military formations as part of efforts to strengthen accountability and protect citizens’ rights.
The latest dashboard adds to growing concerns over the deteriorating security and human rights environment in Nigeria, where communities continue to grapple with violence, displacement, attacks on vulnerable groups and shrinking access to basic freedoms despite ongoing government efforts to restore order.
