Int’l Human Rights Day: ‘Why violations continue to rise in Nigeria’

As the world marks International Human Rights Day 2025, analysts have identified reasons why Nigeria’s human rights record has continued to worsen despite efforts by the government and civil society to address it.

Data gathered by Daily Trust from news reports and data agencies showed a steep rise in violation of fundamental human rights, including torture by security operatives, child abuse, cultists, bandits and terrorism activities, which contributed to the violations in 2025.

However, experts suggest that citizens’ lack of vigilance, the absence of punishment or enforcement of orders, poverty, and a lack of reporting awareness may be responsible for the growing number of human rights violations in the country in 2025.

Nigeria is a signatory to various international human rights treaties and conventions.

Some rights violations in 2025

Despite these provisions, the violation of human rights in 2025 has been on the high side. The data showed that about 13 allegations of unlawful arrests and detention of critics, 26 cases of child abuse, 142 deaths and four injuries in cult-related activities, 99 killings by security operatives, and over 100 in jungle justice killings.

Further, a report by the SBM Intelligence indicates that at least 4,722 people were abducted and N2.56bn paid in ransom between July 2024 and June 2025, in 997 incidents that resulted in the death of 762 people; with half of the incidents occurring in 2025.

According to the Human Rights Watch Report, poverty and inequality may have contributed to the human rights violations in Nigeria. The country experienced several human rights violations across the country in 2025, with killings from the herders-farmers conflicts in the North Central and Northwest, where, in March, about 400 people were kidnapped in Kuriga, Kaduna, including 287 schoolchildren, and about 1.1 million people were internally displaced. Also, it reported that killings in Benue and Plateau states escalated in 2025.

In November, over 315 schoolgirls were abducted in Niger State, 25 in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers were abducted in Kwara State.

In the Northeast and the Southeast, Boko Haram’s increased attacks on communities and security agents and deaths of security agents and civilians from the activities of violent separatists were recorded.

There are also concerns that the new cybercrime law has been repressive against critics of the government. For instance, in February, Wale Odusola, a lawyer, was arrested for defamation against Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State; in March, Ismail Yusuf was detained for criticising former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his wife; in May, Ishe’u Ibrahim Jadda was detained for criticising the Gashua water supply project in Yobe; in July, Ghali Isma’il was detained for announcing President Bola Tinubu’s death on TikTok.

Further, in August 2025, Rasaq Gafar was detained for threatening Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State; in September, Hassan Mai-Waya Kangiwa was detained for showing the conditions of the Kangiwa General Hospital, Kebbi State; same month, Journalist Azuka Ogujiuba was arrested for publishing a court injunction; same September, Journalist James Alefia was detained for criticising a member of the House of Representatives from Ebonyi State; and same September, Barrister Chinedu Agu was arrested for criticising Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.

In October, Journalist Fejiro Oliver was arrested for criticising Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State; same October, Ibrahim Ishaq Dan’Uwa Rano was detained for alleged defamation against Governor Yusuf of Kano State; same October, Barrister Ahmed Abdulrahaman and four others were detained for allegations of cyberbullying a senator; in November, Murtrala Garba Doka and Shamsu Safiyanu Lambu were arrested for criticising a local government chairman’s alleged abandonment of a road project in Tofa LGA in Kano State; same November, Chisom Acho and Chinonso Imeba were arrested for allegedly cyberbullying a representative from Ebonyi State.

As the world marks the day with the theme by the United Nations being: “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials”, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Abeny Mohammed, wants Nigeria to address the issue of poor enforcement of judgements against infringements.

“When human rights are violated, whether by the state or non-state actors, the remedy is to seek redress as provided under Section 46 of the 1999 Constitution in the appropriate court. However, enforcement of orders of court duly obtained by the victim of human rights against a violator is, and has always been, the major problem because you need the services of the police to enforce the order against the violator,” he said.

“The way forward is for the judiciary to create its enforcement unit under the chief sheriff of the court for the purpose of enforcement of court orders against the violators of human rights, be they security agents or government officials. This will ease enforcement of human rights orders,” he added.

A human rights activist, Deji Ajare, criticised the government’s denial of human rights violations, which he insisted occurred daily, while calling on citizens to be more vigilant.

“Firstly, citizens must remain vigilant and ensure, as much as possible, to document incidents of human rights violations. The advancements in technology have made this easier.

“Secondly, citizens, particularly public-interest lawyers, must never relent in filing public-interest and strategic cases to compel the government to protect the rights of citizens.

“Thirdly, the media must live up to its duty by ensuring that it supports those actors in the justice sector who highlight these violations and seek redress,” he said.

However, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Tony Ojukwu, said the perception of a rise in human rights violations might have been actuated by more rights awareness and reporting by victims to relevant agencies and the use of social media, which he said could not have been possible during the military era.

He noted that aside from violent conflicts like insurgency and banditry that might have surged in recent years, “Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has always been there, but poverty level and empowerment issues may have exacerbated it.”

Enforcement of rights, a collective responsibility – Adeyanju

Reacting to the data of human rights breaches in 2025, Barrister Deji Adeyanju bemoaned the worsening situation, which he noted had both non-state actors and state actors as major violators across the country, while calling for collective action by the citizens.

“What we are witnessing in the country is the doctoring of statistics and denials to try and please development partners, but in terms of human rights work, Nigeria is still lagging seriously behind,” he said.

“This is why institutional agencies and development partners need to be firm and thorough in ensuring compliance to the fundamental dictates of Chapter 4 of the Nigerian Constitution. The government is not mindful that Nigerians are not dignified.

“For instance, there is freedom of expression, while freedom after expression is a different thing. The police are using the cybercrime law. In fact, it is even a weaponised tool in the hands of politicians. They don’t want any form of dissent and criticism, whatsoever,” he added.

On what activists like him are doing to address the situation, he said, “The whole idea of activism should not be the exclusive preserve of anyone; it should be the collective role of everyone, including journalists, people in government, people in the markets, people in cinema – where you see anything going wrong, the citizens should collectively do something about it.

“Nigerians want to abandon activism for certain people who they feel are born activists. Activism is supposed to be a call to citizens’ responsibility. Citizens have a responsibility; leaders have a responsibility. When citizens fail to hold the government accountable, leaders also fail in theirs. So, citizens should be more inclined towards demanding what is right, just and equitable or what is conscionable.”

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