NHRC Urges Government to Address Worsening Insecurity
… and Enforced Disappearances in Nigeria
As the world marks the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised alarm over the growing trend of kidnappings, abductions, and enforced disappearances across Nigeria, describing it as a severe violation of human dignity and human rights.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, expressed deep concern over the surge in disappearances, which he said has inflicted lasting emotional trauma on victims’ families and communities. He stressed that many Nigerians are left in a state of grief and uncertainty, unable to trace their missing loved ones.
Dr. Ojukwu attributed the worsening situation to the persistent security challenges plaguing the country, including insurgency, banditry, herder-farmer conflicts, separatist violence, and deepening poverty. These, he noted, have created an environment where enforced disappearances are increasingly common, especially in the context of security operations.
Highlighting international legal obligations—particularly the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance—Ojukwu reminded the Nigerian government of its duty to guarantee fundamental rights, such as liberty, legal recognition, security, and protection from torture and inhumane treatment.
The Commission called on all levels of government to urgently implement measures that tackle the underlying causes of insecurity, while also strengthening systems of accountability and justice. Dr. Ojukwu further urged security agencies to operate within the bounds of international human rights standards and ensure that all perpetrators of these violations are held accountable.
Reaffirming the NHRC’s commitment to supporting affected families, Ojukwu stated: “They may be missing, but they are certainly not forgotten.”
He concluded by emphasizing that only a coordinated and comprehensive approach to insecurity—addressing insurgency, communal violence, economic hardship, and political unrest—can help reduce the number of missing persons and rebuild public trust in state institutions.
