The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, on Friday, said it was concerned about the rising spate of rights violations in the country, disclosing that it received over 1,580 cases last month.
The Commission, which has the statutory mandate to monitor and investigate all alleged cases of human rights violations in the country and make appropriate recommendation to the federal government for prosecution, decried that the petitions that got to it, emanated from all the six geopolitical zones.
It said the reported violations included killings, kidnapping, domestic violence, abductions and issues bordering on children's right.
While presenting the Human Rights Situation Dashboard for March, the NHRC, through its senior human rights adviser, Mr. Hilary Ogbonna, disclosed that the North Central topped the list of the complaints with a total of 468 cases.
He added that the police, military and the Department of State Services, DSS, grouped as State Actors, were involved in 94 rights violations cases .
He explained that the recent killing of soldiers and police officers in Delta State, formed part of the report, adding that 542 cases of violation of children's rights were also recorded during the period.
Besides, Ogbonna revealed that the issue of domestic violence, which he said was becoming too rampant in some part of the country, had 471 recorded cases.
He said that non state actors as well as private actors had 32 and 36 cases, respectively, while three cases of violation of rights were recorded against persons with disability.
According to him, other sectors, including social, economic and cultural rights, accounted for 157 cases, while referred petitions was put at 24.
Moreso, Ogbonna added that killings and kidnappings accounted for 499 cases, while another 71 petitions on violations of rights to life were recorded by the commission during the period under review.
He said the 1,580 human rights violations were the entire figures recorded in offices of the commission, spread across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
Expressing worry over the increasing cases of human rights violations, Ogbonna, said about 301 school children were abducted in kaduna state alone, while 40 people were killed in Benue state.
Equally decrying how four persons lost their lives while struggling for palliatives in Nasarawa state, Ogbonna, said there was need for the government to pay close attention to the economic needs of the citizenry.
He further urged the police and the military to always conduct their investigations in compliance with the rules of engagement and the rule of law.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Mr. Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, reaffirmed the commitment of the organization to the promotion and protection of human rights.
He said the commission would partner with other stakeholders, including governments at all levels, to step up efforts to protect lives and properties across the federation.
The NHRC monthly dashboard, which is aimed at making human rights situation in the country public, is supported by United Nations Development Program as well as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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