The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recorded 261,483 rights violation complaints and an alarming surge in killings in Benue, Plateau and Borno states in April.
The killings in Borno were attributed to the resurgence of attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, gave the report during the monthly human rights dashboard presentation at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
“In April 2025, the commission received 261,483 numbers…Our Human Rights Edition in April was the grimace we have seen in almost a year. The killings in Plateau and Benue states, as well as the resurgence of the attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP in Borno state, have left hundreds of citizens injured and dead,” he said.
Referring to the killings in the North-central states of Plateau and Benue, Mr Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stated that the persistence of the middle-belt crisis called for the govenrment’s drastic action to avert its normalisation.
“We must collectively resist the normalization of the horrors that play out when families are slaughtered in their sleep, when children are laid to rest in shallow graves, when survivors are left without shelter, support, or justice.
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“Nigeria must honour its national and international obligations to protect and fulfil the right to life and the right to dignity of the human person. Silence in the face of injustice is complicity,” the official said.
He also noted that the figures presented were Nigerians’ life experiences that demanded urgent attention. The NHRC boss called on all stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to confronting human rights violations in the country.
The presentation was attended by representatives from a range of entities, civil society organisations, international organisations, and embassies, including Austrian Ambassador, Peter Guschelbauer.
The commission recorded 570 killings in April, said the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the NHRC, Hilary Ogbonna, while presenting the report.
According to him, 139 of them were slain in Benue, 119 in Plateau and 85 in Borno States – accounting for 60 per cent of the killings in the month. He said the rest 40 per cent were spread across other states.
Mr Ogbonna stated that the killings not only infringed on the right to life but also affected the right to food, as farmers were attacked. The commission recorded the deaths of four farmers in Akure-North Local Government of Ondo State, 14 in Borno State, and two female farmers in Delta State.
The attacks have continued despite the efforts of security agencies. The reasons for the attacks vary but include fights over land, fights over grazing rights between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers, and ethno-religious crises.
The Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, stated that “every community must defend itself” in response to the mass killings in the state.
Similarly, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum lamented the resurgence of Boko Haram and its breakaway faction ISWAP, expressing frustrations about their frequent attacks.
Reports claimed there were coordinated attacks in the Ugondo community of Logo Local Government Area and in Tyuluv and Gbagir communities in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State which claimed the lives of 56 persons.
Making a comparative analysis, Mr Ogbonna noted that 1,290 killings in the first quarter of 2025, exceeds half of the 2,194 killings the commission recorded from January to December 2024.
NHRC listed 278 kidnappings in April. Mr Ogbonna stated that the figure is a 240 per cent increase as compared to 88 kidnappings recorded in March.
Mr Ogbonna stated that the kidnappings were an infringement on the right to freedom of movement. He noted the kidnapping of 12 passengers along Adoka-Naka, Makurdi road, Benue State, 14 in Eleyin, Kwara State, and the placement of road bombs in Borno that claimed the lives of 7 passengers.
“We have the opinion that if these attacks continue, it’s not only going to hinder the right to freedom of movement but also begin to impact economic activities,” he said.
The North-central maintains a lead in complaints listed with 93,091 cases, followed by the North-west, 54,051. The South-south comes third with 39,312 complaints, followed by South-West, 30,420, North-East, 28,417 and lastly the South-east, 16,192.
Key trends in April’s complaints include violations of rights by law enforcement officers and against human dignity, freedom from discrimination and infringement of economic and socio-cultural rights.
The commission documented 1,739 cases of gender-based discrimination cases, 1,560 women trafficking cases, 1,608 complaints of forceful marriages and 1,422 cases of denial of access to children.
It added that 6,135 women complained of domestic violence, 2,220 of sexual violence and 11 complaints of rape. Mr Ogbonna noted that the complaints of rape did not necessarily reflect the reality because “it takes a lot to report rape”.
According to the report, in the month under focus, 1,121 children were abandoned, 587 were subjected to forced marriage, and 534 were involved in child labour.
Some of the peculiar cases the commission highlighted included that of a 40-year-old woman who raped a 12-year-old boy in Azare, Bauchi State, an uncle brutalising a four-year-old orphan for dancing at a naming ceremony in Nasarawa State, a father beating his daughter to death in Lagos State and a pastor impregnating a 13-year old disabled girl in Ondo State.
The commission announced that it succeeded in investigating 863 complaints in April. It also said it carried out 90 visits to correctional and detention centres and 12 military formations.
NHRC also said it summoned the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) officials and sent letters regarding 33 cases.
