A Nation in Distress: NHRC’s November Report Tells a Grim Story

…Receives 422,942 Complaints in November Alone

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed grave concern over the worsening security situation and escalating human rights violations across Nigeria, disclosing that it received a staggering 422,942 complaints in November 2025 alone.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, revealed this on Monday in Abuja during the presentation of the NHRC’s November Human Rights Situation Dashboard. He described the figures as a stark indication of deepening human suffering rather than mere statistics.

According to the report, over 800 abductions were recorded nationwide within the month, including the kidnapping of more than 55 farmers from their farmlands. Travellers, students, and worshippers were also among those abducted, highlighting the widespread and indiscriminate nature of insecurity across the country.

Dr. Ojukwu noted that November ranked among the most disturbing periods for school abductions since the Chibok incident, citing recent kidnappings of schoolchildren in Maga and Papiri communities of Kebbi and Niger states. He warned that attacks on educational institutions and students threaten not only individual rights but also the nation’s long-term stability and development.

Beyond abductions, the NHRC documented numerous cases of child trafficking, gang rape, and sexual abuse of minors. Ojukwu described such violations as devastating crimes that inflict lasting trauma on victims and undermine the moral fabric of society.

The dashboard further highlighted persistent reports of police extortion, unlawful detention, and abuse of power, as well as harassment and intimidation of journalists and civil society actors. The Commission cautioned that continued restrictions on civic space pose serious risks to democratic governance.

In several states, the NHRC also observed a rise in domestic violence, child abandonment, denial of education, and inheritance rights violations, with women, children, and the elderly disproportionately affected.

Summarising the findings, Ojukwu pointed to a troubling pattern of growing impunity, shrinking civic space, escalating violence against women and children, and communities living in constant fear.

While reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to documentation, engagement, and accountability, he stressed that addressing human rights abuses requires collective action. He called on all tiers of government, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, and citizens to work together to confront violence and injustice.

“As a nation, we must reach a point where no child fears going to school, no farmer fears working the land, and no woman or girl fears violence,” Ojukwu said, urging Nigerians to turn human rights from ideals into everyday realities.