Human and Community Rights Centre (HCRC) Blog

  President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has expressed grave concern over the increasing threats to workers' rights and civil liberties in Nigeria, warning that the nation’s democratic space is rapidly narrowing. Speaking at the opening of the 2025 NLC Rain School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State—an event formally inaugurated by Governor Umo Eno—Ajaero described the political atmosphere as increasingly hostile to labour movements, dissenting voices, and the rights of ordinary citizens. He decried the apparent erosion of democratic institutions, noting that accountability has become elusive due to the weakening of the rule of law and the subordination of the legislature and judiciary to executive influence. “When the legislature becomes a mere extension of the executive, and the judiciary echoes the interests of those in power, democracy itself begins to unravel,” he warned. Particularly alarming, he said, is the criminalisation of legitimate protest, referencing...

  The Federal High Court in Lagos has awarded ₦10 million in damages against the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for violating the fundamental rights of #EndSARS protesters. In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice Musa Kakaki held that the police infringed upon the rights of peaceful demonstrators who had assembled at the Lekki Tollgate on 20 October 2024 to mark the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests. It will be recalled that officers from the Lagos State Police Command arrested no fewer than 20 individuals at the tollgate, detaining them for several hours in a police van before releasing them without charge. The applicants—22 individuals, along with three civic organisations: the Education Rights Campaign, the Take It Back Movement, and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights—filed a suit seeking redress for what they termed unlawful arrest and a breach of their constitutional rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The case was brought as a fundamenta...

  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s correctional system, drawing attention to widespread systemic bias and inhumane conditions within detention facilities. Speaking in a statement to commemorate World Mandela Day, the NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Dr Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, called on stakeholders to honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy by embracing the values he stood for—justice, dignity, equality, and compassion. Dr Ojukwu lamented the deplorable state of correctional centres across Nigeria, describing them as overcrowded, under-resourced, and bereft of adequate sanitation and healthcare facilities. He characterised this condition as not only a failure of infrastructure but also of justice and basic humanity. He further condemned the widespread use of prolonged pre-trial detention, noting that thousands of indigent Nigerians are detained for years without trial simply due to their inability to afford legal representation or meet bail condi...

  A prominent human rights organisation, Global Rights, has called for a public apology from the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, in response to what it described as an inflammatory and unconstitutional remark directed at former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the organisation urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to not only condemn the governor’s remarks but also ensure that the matter is thoroughly investigated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Global Rights stressed that the Nigerian Constitution unequivocally guarantees the freedom of movement for all citizens. “Let us be clear. No governor in Nigeria possesses the constitutional authority to restrict the movement of any Nigerian citizen within the country. Mr Obi, like every Nigerian, is protected under Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Ni...

  The Nigeria Police Force has successfully dismantled two major human trafficking syndicates operating across multiple states, rescuing several victims—including children, pregnant women, and foreign nationals. A total of 11 suspects were arrested in connection with the operations. According to a statement released on Monday by Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, the coordinated crackdowns were led by operatives from Zone 13 Police Command and Ondo State Police Command. The operations targeted criminal enterprises involved in child trafficking, illegal adoption, and transnational human smuggling. In the Southeast, officers of Zone 13 conducted a precision-led sting operation, which exposed a deeply rooted baby factory and trafficking network. The raid resulted in the arrest of eight suspects, including Ms. Uzoamaka Ani (27), Mrs. Joy Madu (52), and Mrs. Victoria Akasike (56). The suspects reportedly confessed to participating in child theft, illegal adoption scheme...

  The family of Mr. Pantaleon Osunkwo, residents of Obiuno in the Igboukwu community of Aguata Local Government Area, Anambra State, has submitted a formal petition to the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikioye Orutugu. The petition concerns the alleged unlawful arrest, detention, and prosecution of their son, Mr. Carlo Chibuzor Osunkwo, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu. In the petition dated 14 July 2025, the family stated that 22-year-old Carlo, the youngest of a set of triplets, was apprehended on 7 June and has since remained incommunicado in the custody of the RRS Awkuzu. The petition, made available by his mother, Dr. Patience Osunkwo—a retired Director from the Public Works Department of the National Directorate of Employment under the Federal Ministry of Labour—alleges persistent harassment, unlawful arrest, extortion attempts, and abuse of security structures by both state and local authorities. Dr. Osunkwo decried the treatment of her son, describ...

  Amnesty International Nigeria has raised strong concerns over an arrest warrant issued against Hamdiyya Sidi Sharif, a vocal critic of Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, describing the move as a clear violation of her right to a fair hearing. The warrant was issued on July 10 by a magistrate court sitting in Gwiwa, under Wurno Local Government Area, after Hamdiyya failed to appear in court the previous day. Amnesty International insists the absence was due to her ongoing medical treatment,which was a direct result of the trauma she suffered following a violent abduction. “The warrant of arrest… is contrary to all tenets of fair hearing and justice,” the human rights organization said in a statement posted on its official X handle. The group called for the immediate withdrawal of the warrant, especially as a motion for trial in absentia had already been filed by her legal team on June 19. Hamdiyya is currently facing criminal charges brought by the Sokoto State Government, includ...

  In a bold move to advance disability rights across the African continent, Nigeria has held a high-level Roundtable on the Implementation of the African Disability Protocol (ADP) in Abuja. Jointly organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), and The Ability Life Initiative (TALI), the event marked a significant shift from policy ratification to actionable implementation. Key outcomes of the roundtable included commitments to harmonise the 2018 Disability Act with the ADP, adopt state-level disability legislation, establish a Disability Rights Trust Fund, and launch coordinated national awareness efforts. The roundtable brought together key actors from government institutions, civil society, and development partners to chart a national roadmap for the protocol’s implementation. In attendance were the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu; Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons...

  A High Court sitting in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, has ordered the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olufemi Abaniwonda, a judicial officer, Mrs. Juliana Mordi, and four others to jointly pay the sum of ₦30 million in damages to a film set decorator, Mr. Tobechukwu Ananweude, for the unlawful violation of his fundamental rights. The court further directed the respondents to issue a written apology to Mr. Ananweude and restrained them from any further arrest, detention, or infringement of his constitutional rights arising from the said contractual dispute. The judgement followed an application for the enforcement of fundamental human rights filed by Mr. Ananweude through his legal counsel, A. F. Brideba. According to the plaintiff, he was unlawfully arrested by officers from the A-Division Police Station in Asaba on two separate occasions — April 16–17 and May 4–6, 2024 — without due explanation. Mr. Ananweude further claimed that on 21 January 2024, he was contracted by o...

  The House of Representatives is currently reviewing 567 petitions from citizens alleging wrongful termination of employment, human rights abuses, and various forms of injustice perpetrated across the country. This was disclosed by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, on Tuesday during his mid-term address at the House of Representatives Open Week in Abuja. The event was organised to foster greater public engagement and transparency in legislative activities. According to the Speaker, “This House truly serves as a tribunal for the people. Through the Committee on Public Petitions, we have received a total of 621 petitions from Nigerians concerning wrongful dismissals, rights violations, and other grievances.” He further stated that 24 of the petitions have been conclusively addressed, with reports prepared, while 30 were dismissed for lacking merit.

  Project Alert on Violence Against Women, a Non-Governmental Organisation, has stressed the need for a broader perspective on sexual violence against minors, noting that the issue extends far beyond cases of rape. The organisation made this known on Wednesday during the closing event of its three-year intervention project on sexual violence and young persons within academic institutions, held in Calabar. Addressing participants, Ms Nsini Udonta, Senior Programme Officer at Project Alert, explained that the initiative was borne out of a 2012 survey which highlighted alarming trends in child sexual abuse. “The survey revealed that 77 per cent of sexual violence victims were children between the ages of zero and 17, with a large proportion of cases occurring in school settings,” she said. She further noted that the project, titled “Kasa”—a Hausa word meaning “speak out”—was designed to sensitise students through the formation of school-based clubs and the implementation of targeted e...

  Nigeria has been ranked among the ten worst countries in the world for violations of workers’ rights, alongside Bangladesh, Belarus, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, the Philippines, Tunisia, and Türkiye. This ranking was disclosed in the 2025 edition of the Global Rights Index published by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which warns that workers’ rights are deteriorating globally at an alarming rate. According to the report, workers’ rights are in a state of decline across all continents, with Europe and the Americas recording their poorest performances since the Index was first introduced in 2014. Only seven countries now retain a top rating of ‘1’—the highest level of respect for labour rights—compared to 51 countries rated either ‘5’ or ‘5+’, indicating a grave disregard for such rights. The ITUC warns that if the current trajectory continues, no country may hold the top rating within the next decade. Three of the five global regions assessed in the Inde...

The Anambra State Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Ibadin Judith-Chukwu, has said human trafficking in the state is assuming an increasingly alarming dimension. Judith-Chukwu also expressed worry over a disturbing trend in the state, where young people are now cohabiting by mutual consent solely to produce babies for sale. Speaking in an interview with journalists in her office in Awka, on Saturday, she said NAPTIP, as an agency saddled with the responsibility, has performed fairly well by establishing state task forces to curb human trafficking in the rural areas, where it is most prevalent. Judith-Chukwu, lamented that the sale of babies is more prevalent in rural communities, emphasised the need for widespread public enlightenment, particularly among residents of remote areas. The NAPTIP Commander further stated that both the agency and the task force are committed to informing and educating the public about the deceptive tactics used b...

The Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has ordered the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Chief of Defence Staff to produce Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, the detained President-General of the Ewu Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, at the next court sitting. Presiding Judge, Justice H.A. Ngajiwa, issued the directive on Monday, during proceedings in the bail application filed on behalf of Ekpekpo by the Okuama community. Ekpekpo, along with Mr. Julius Oghoroko, Mr. Bernard Esegba, and others, was arrested in 2024 in connection with the killing of 17 soldiers who were reportedly on a peacekeeping mission in Okuama community — a case that has drawn national attention and controversy. Counsel for the detained community leader, Dr. Jonathan Ekperusi, filed a motion on notice seeking his release on bail, arguing that his continued detention violates his rights and that the circumstances warrant judicial intervention. In ruling on the application, the court ordered...

  In a proactive step to uphold human rights and foster justice, the Cross River State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Remi O. Ajuga, successfully facilitated the release of five detainees during a routine audit at the Yakurr Divisional Police Headquarters in Ugep. The monitoring visit, which took place on Friday, 13 June 2025, formed part of the Commission’s ongoing audit of detention centres as part of its mandate to ensure the protection of human rights across the country. During the exercise, the NHRC team conducted a thorough profiling of the nine male detainees in custody, assessing both their legal status and the overall conditions within the detention facility. Findings revealed that five of the detainees qualified for administrative bail, in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) and other applicable legal frameworks. Following the Commission’s recommendations, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) prompt...

  Across Nigeria, children continue to grapple with profound challenges that threaten their fundamental rights to survival, protection, and development. In light of this, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on the Nigerian government to rouse itself from its apparent inertia, while urging citizens to actively demand accountability to ensure the full realisation of children’s rights. Speaking at a media dialogue held in commemoration of the 2025 Day of the African Child, Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF in the South-West region, highlighted how inadequate and inefficient budgeting remains a major obstacle to the advancement of children’s welfare in the country. “Budgeting for children ought not to be treated as an isolated or secondary task,” Lafoucriere stated. “It must be integrated into the core planning framework for Nigeria’s population, and it must be informed by reliable data—data that pinpoints where the most vulnerable children are and identifies their...