Rights Abuse: NHRC got 2.5m petitions in 2024 – Speaker Abbas

…lauds the commission’s achievements in 30 years

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, ABUJA

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has decried the rising cases of rights violations in the country, disclosing that in 2024 alone, over 2.5 million petitions were lodged before the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC.

Abbas, in a speech he presented at a stakeholder’s forum that was held to mark the 30th anniversary of the NHRC, said there was a need for a multi-sectoral approach in the federal government’s effort to address issues of labour rights, access to justice, gender-based violence, and basic rights violations.

Stressing that the Commission has the statutory powers to enforce decisions and ensure compliance, the Speaker, whose speech was read by the Minority Leader of the House of Reps, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, said the NHRC must continue to hold individuals accountable for actions against citizens, regardless of their status.

Besides, he urged the Commission to liaise with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to review the extant modalities for the prosecution of drug-related offences.

According to him, current responses to drug abuse emphasise criminalisation over public health support, adding that society’s stigma around drug abuse hinders victims from seeking help.

He argued that a shift from punitive measures to health-focused interventions was necessary.

“The methods we have used so far have failed. Emphasis must be shifted from aggressive and punitive measures to health-focused interventions and counselling.

“Focus on penalties and the resulting stigma tends to discourage drug users from seeking help and getting treatments, leading to further abuse, mental breakdown and drug-related deaths,” he added.

Commending the NHRC, which he said “has established itself as a premier defender of people’s rights,” the Speaker said the number of complaints it handled in the last year was proof of the trust that citizens placed in it.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Tony Ojukwu, SAN, described the situation of human rights in the country as complex and evolving, saying, “Though much has been achieved, we are yet to reach the promised land.”

“We are confronted with security-related violations, shrinking civic space, gender-based violence, climate-related impacts, discriminatory practices, violent extremism, and systemic barriers to accessing justice.

“Yet, it is important to acknowledge that progress has also been made. Public awareness of rights has grown; judicial and legislative actors are increasingly responsive; human rights education now reaches more communities; and young people, women, and civil society groups continue to play transformative roles in shaping national conversations.

“The Commission itself is now more responsive, accessible, and digitally equipped than at any point in our history.

“We have strengthened our presence by establishing offices in the 36 states of the federation, established a monthly human rights situation dashboard and observatory, improved monitoring of detention facilities, and deepened our work with law enforcement and security institutions to enhance compliance with human rights standards.

“But perhaps the most enduring truth of our 30-year journey is that the Commission has never walked alone. Civil society organisations and human rights defenders have been, and will always remain, the backbone of human rights protection in Nigeria.

“As we reflect on three decades of progress, we must also look ahead with clarity and determination. The 30th anniversary of the NHRC is more than a moment of commemoration; it is a moment of renewal and rededication.

“It offers us an opportunity to recommit ourselves to strengthening the Commission’s mandate of promoting, protecting and enforcing human rights of vulnerable groups and all Nigerians,” he added.

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