The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that it recorded 275,256 complaints in May.

The commission’s executive secretary, Tony Ojukwu (SAN), disclosed this during the presentation of the May dashboard report on human rights violations.

He said complaints ranged from brutal attacks in the North-East to rising cases of sexual violence and mass displacement caused by natural disasters.

“When over a quarter of a million people turn to the National Human Rights Commission in just one month, the message is loud and clear: too many Nigerians feel unprotected, unheard, and unseen.

“What is most worrying is the normalisation of this distress where many no longer expect redress or accountability. This is a dangerous place for any society to find itself,” Mr Ojukwu lamented.

According to Mr Ojukwu, the recent floods in Mokwa, Niger, serve as a tragic reminder of the vulnerability of displaced populations, where over 200 lives were lost, and many remain missing.

He said the situation required an urgent need for coordinated disaster preparedness and response strategies.

“The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria is further exacerbated by the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

“Our collaboration with UNHCR has highlighted the dire conditions faced by IDPs in many parts of the country.

“These individuals endure inadequate shelter, limited access to healthcare, and a lack of basic amenities,” he said.

Mr Ojukwu noted that the affected people’s rights to safety, dignity, and livelihood are systematically violated.

He said the scourge of internal and forced displacements in Nigeria led the NHRC to launch a quarterly dashboard on Human Rights and Internal Displacement in Nigeria.

“This dashboard, which is the highlight of our partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, is aimed at providing monitoring and collation of information/data on the mandate population.

“In the months of February, March and April, the commission recorded over 40,000 displacements and 1,460 complaints from IDPs, refugees, returnees, and asylum seekers,” he said.

He expressed appreciation to UNHCR, the UN System in Nigeria, local partners, and human rights monitors in the 34 local government areas across 11 states for their contributions.

(NAN)