June 9, (THEWILL)- The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Anthony Ojukwu (SAN), has lamented the increase in human rights violations in the country.
He said on Friday that a total of 55,218 human rights violation complaints were received by the Commission in May alone, and painted a worrying trend in violations of economic, social, and cultural rights.
Among violations on the increase in the country, according to him deal with violations of child’s rights, child abduction, harmful traditional practices, child marriage, violent assault, torture, child abandonment, rape and defilement of minors among others.
Speaking to law enforcement agents in Abuja, he warned then to stop engaging in the abuse of the rights of citizens in the process of carrying out their duties, while equally condemning the increasing spate of violence against police and army personnel.
He said, “This is a distressing indication that despite our efforts, there are still instances where those entrusted with upholding the law become violators of human rights. We must emphasize the importance of accountability and the reasonable use of force by law enforcement agencies.
“While it is essential to maintain law and order, it must be done in a manner that respects the dignity and rights of every individual. Any abuse of power or excessive force must be met with swift and impartial justice.”
“This penchant for killing law enforcement agents, the commission condemns it and urges the culprit to desist from it. The month under review also witnesses significant and troublesome escalation in the activities of non-state armed groups across the country. Our Human Rights Observatory recorded 298 killings and 360 abductions largely attributed to terrorists and bandit groups.
“The northwest continues to be a region of concern for us in this regard. We continue to see the worrisome trends of killings of men of our armed forces and the Police. This for us constitutes a threat to security and the defence of human rights and we continue to call on all relevant authorities at the state and national levels to stem this tide.”
He charged the government to take concrete steps to address the violations and ensure that all citizens enjoy their economic, social, and cultural rights without discrimination or impediment.
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