Human and Community Rights Centre (HCRC) Blog

  The police in Enugu State have detained three masqueraders in the Nsukka area of the state for allegedly assaulting residents. Daniel Ndukwe, the state police spokesperson, said in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday that police operatives arrested the suspects on 23 June, with the assistance of members of the community. The suspects’ arrest was linked to the alleged physical assault of residents by the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade group on 22 June, as seen in a viral video. "The suspects, along with others still at large, took advantage of the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade celebration to assault several innocent members of the public, inflicting bodily injuries on them. The masqueraders initially resisted police arrest and fled the scene. However, with the assistance of law-abiding community members, the three suspects were later identified and apprehended,” he said. Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, said that the Commissioner of Police in Enugu, Mamman Giwa, has ordered an investigation into ...

  The Gombe State chapter of the Take It Back Movement has condemned the arrest of a lecturer at the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin Kowa, identified as Ahmad, calling for his immediate and unconditional release. In a statement signed on Monday by the state coordinator, Thomas Umar, the group described the arrest as unlawful and a direct attack on academic freedom and freedom of expression. It was reported that Ahmad was arrested in Bauchi State over comments he allegedly made criticising the son of the Bauchi State Governor. TIB expressed deep concern that the lecturer’s arrest reflects a growing intolerance for dissent and a disregard for the constitutional rights of citizens, particularly those within academic institutions. The movement said such actions undermine democracy and threaten the independence of intellectual discourse.   “Take-It-Back demands immediate release, a thorough investigation into the circumstances of his arrest, and stronger safeguards to protec...

  Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has criticised the Federal and Benue State Governments for consistently failing to prosecute suspects arrested in connection with violent attacks in Benue State. In a statement issued under the platform of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), which he chairs, Falana, on Sunday, lamented that although hundreds of suspects have been arrested over the years for crimes ranging from illegal possession of firearms to mass killings and kidnapping, most of them are never charged. His reaction follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue, during which he directed the Nigeria Police Force to arrest and prosecute all those involved in the latest wave of violence in the state. However, Falana described the president’s order as potentially symbolic, pointing out that previous arrests had not led to convictions or justice for victims. Falana also berated the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for alleging that re...

  The Nigerian Bar Association, Gwagwalada Branch, has condemned in the strongest terms the brutal assault and unlawful detention of its member, Mr. Ajiki John Boluwaji, by a group of assailants allegedly acting on the instructions of Mr. Williams Raymond of Suite B18–B19, 2nd Floor, Iyemi Plaza, Gudu Junction, Abuja. The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, between 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm at the Gudu Market Junction in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. According to the NBA’s account, Mr. Boluwaji had gone to serve a client’s demand letter when he was confronted, manhandled, and forcibly detained by the assailants. the Branch Secretary, John Oluwasina Adewakun Esq., recounted in the public notice that “The attackers seized Mr. Boluwaji’s phone and denied him any opportunity to call for help, He was only rescued when police officers on patrol intervened and escorted him to safety.” The Chairman of the NBA Gwagwalada Branch, Owhor Clever Esq. reacting to the attack, decried the ...

  The African Action Congress (ACC) has expressed concerns over  a 20-year-old deaf girl named Margret Joshua, who was brutally assaulted in Tula Baule Yakku, Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State, on 27th May, 2025. According to AAC, Margret was attacked while washing clothes by the riverside when Abubakar Lamido, the alleged assailant, attempted to rape her. Upon resistance, Lamido reportedly beat her severely, inflicting internal injuries that required emergency surgery. Comrade Bobo Benson-Bagwiba, the chairman of the AAC, lamented the situation when he stated that “This is not only a tragic case of gender-based violence, but also a stark reminder of the vulnerability of persons living with disabilities in rural Nigeria. Comr. Benson further stated that “Margret’s ordeal is unacceptable, and justice must be swift, transparent, and uncompromising.” Margret’s family reported the case to the Tula Division of the Nigeria Police Force. Although Lamido was brought in for...

  A group in Bayelsa State known as, Southern Ijaw Unity Forum, has raised serious concerns over what it described as the increasing wave of human rights violations being committed by pipeline surveillance operatives in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. In a statement issued on Monday by its Chairman, Comrade Timothy Amadiowei, the group called on the Bayelsa State Government to urgently intervene before more innocent lives are endangered. According to the forum, the current situation has reached an alarming level where individuals can be injured or killed over mere suspicion of illegal oil bunkering, often without any investigation or right to fair hearing. Amadiowei further decried the proliferation of arms in the area, warning that sophisticated weapons are now in the hands of criminal elements and mentally unfit individuals parading as pipeline security personnel. “In the last one year, Southern Ijaw has seen a disturbing rise in violent attacks, many of the...

  Stakeholders in the South-south region of Nigeria have stated that the country’s Child Rights Law is yet to yield significant results, urging relevant authorities to collaborate more effectively to safeguard the future generations. The stakeholders in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers States reacted to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey on the extent of the implementation of the Child Rights Act and Labour laws. In Cross River, James Ibor, the principal counsel of Basic Rights Council Initiative, described the implementation of the Child Rights Law as poor and slow. He explained that the state domesticated the Act in 2009 and amended it in 2023 into the Cross River Child Rights Law 2023, which explicitly criminalised branding children as witches and stipulated punishment for the offender. However, Mr Ibor said that with the increased awareness of the law provisions, crime reporting has increased, and the steps taken by the police have also improved, but this has caused a lo...