NHRC says killings and child sexual violence worsened Nigeria’s human rights crisis after receiving 326,113 complaints in June 2026.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says it received 326,113 human rights complaints in June 2026, warning that killings and sexual violence against children are escalating across the country.
Presenting the Commission’s June Human Rights Situation Dashboard, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, described the figures as evidence of an “ongoing and urgent challenge” facing Nigeria.
“For the month of June 2026, the Commission received a total of 326,113 complaints, a figure that underscores the ongoing and urgent challenge of securing human rights for all Nigerians,” Ojukwu said.
The Commission said the right to life remained the most violated fundamental human right during the month, with armed violence accounting for a significant proportion of reported abuses nationwide.
It also disclosed that its Human Rights Observatory recorded multiple cases of sexual violence against children, describing the trend as one of the gravest threats confronting the country.
“The pattern of sustained, unresolved violence demands urgent, coordinated intervention,” Ojukwu warned.
The report comes as Nigeria continues to face security challenges, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts, separatist violence in the South-East and attacks on rural communities.
The Commission also highlighted findings by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Professor Nazila Ghanea, whose June fact-finding mission concluded that insecurity, kidnappings, displacement and attacks on communities continue to undermine fundamental freedoms and heighten religious tensions.
Ojukwu urged authorities to ensure that the proposed establishment of state police does not create new avenues for human rights abuses, warning that political interference, poor training and weak institutional safeguards could worsen the situation.
The NHRC also renewed its call for justice for victims of the Yelewata massacre in Benue State, lamenting that one year after more than 100 people were reportedly killed, many survivors remain displaced and without adequate humanitarian support.
The Commission called on security agencies to strengthen civilian protection, prosecute perpetrators of abuses, expand child protection measures, improve school safety and provide psychosocial support for victims.
The Police Service Commission backed the report, describing the Human Rights Situation Dashboard as an important tool for promoting transparency, accountability and evidence-based policing reforms, while pledging continued collaboration with the NHRC to strengthen the protection of fundamental rights.