The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported on Wednesday that 1,712 kidnapping cases and 1,463 killings were recorded across Nigeria from January to September 2024.
This data was presented during a Civil Society Consultation on the State of Human Rights in Nigeria, held in Abuja and organized by the NHRC in collaboration with the European Union.
NHRC’s human rights adviser, Hillary Ogbonna, highlighted the alarming increase in child abandonment cases and other human rights violations, attributing the rise in part to economic hardship and the activities of extremist groups recruiting vulnerable youths.
Monthly breakdowns show troubling trends:
- January: 150 kidnappings, 55 killings, and 15 hate speech incidents.
- February: 215 kidnappings, 106 killings, and 550 child abandonment cases.
- March: 499 kidnappings, 172 killings, and 323 child abandonment cases.
- April: 99 kidnappings, 211 killings, and 491 child abandonment cases.
NHRC Executive Secretary Dr. Tony Ojukwu noted ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s human rights landscape, emphasizing the need to protect civic spaces and safeguard human rights defenders.
He called for continuous collaboration across all sectors to address these issues.
The Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, Zissimos Vergos, highlighted the EU’s commitment to human rights as a foundation for peace and development.
He acknowledged Nigeria’s progress but stressed the need for further reforms to uphold human rights amid evolving challenges.
The event also marked the launch of the Human Rights Defenders Forum, aimed at enhancing protections for Nigeria’s vulnerable populations and curbing rights violations across the country.
