Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reportedly recorded 384,196 complaints in October, a 13.4% rise from September, with discrimination the largest category, according to reports of its dashboard presentation.
Guardian Nigeria and Premium Times reported the October total from the presentation. The NHRC’s official September dashboard release put that month’s total at 338,810, making the reported October count 45,386 higher. The 13.4% increase is consistent with those monthly figures.
Freedom from discrimination accounted for 217,243 complaints, the largest category in October, the two outlets reported. The figures count reported complaints; they do not establish that each allegation was substantiated. The NHRC’s September release says its monthly dashboard combines complaints submitted to the Commission with incidents tracked by its Human Rights Observatory.
Premium Times reported that North Central had 116,739 complaints, followed by South West with 65,309 and North West with 63,120. The outlet reported 50,902 in South South, 49,618 in North East and 38,508 in South East. It said the 10 states with the highest complaint counts accounted for 52% of the total.
The outlet also reported that the Commission resolved 1,455 cases, visited 108 places of detention and five military formations, and summoned police 45 times during October. Those actions were reported by Premium Times alone.
NHRC Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu said the complaints represented people and communities needing protection, Premium Times reported. “Every complaint is a person, a family, or a community whose rights and dignity need protection,” he said.
