The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) received 354,997 human rights complaints across Nigeria in July 2026, describing the figure as a worrying reflection of the scale of rights violations in the country.
The commission also raised concerns over the increasing cases of sexual violence against children, saying its Human Rights Observatory recorded 25 cases involving children and minors during the month.
The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr Tony Ojukwu (SAN), disclosed this in Abuja while presenting the commission’s July 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard and signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Hope Behind Bars Africa.
Ojukwu said the monthly dashboard provides an evidence-based assessment of the human rights situation across the country, highlighting the concentration of violations, emerging trends and areas requiring urgent intervention.
He said the reported cases of sexual violence against children required immediate attention because of their potential long-term consequences on victims’ physical and psychological well-being.
“These are not just human rights violations but, if not managed, could have a lasting impact on the health and mental well-being of the survivors,” he warned.
The NHRC boss also identified the digital environment as an increasingly significant area of human rights violations, citing online harassment, cyberbullying, data exploitation, digital surveillance, blackmail and technology-enabled extortion.
According to him, the use of digital platforms to spread hate and incite violence has evolved into a growing human rights concern.
He expressed particular concern over the potential impact of hate speech and divisive rhetoric ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging politicians, religious leaders and traditional rulers to avoid statements capable of worsening existing social divisions.
Ojukwu referenced recent controversial statements by political figures during the Osun State governorship election and comments attributed to Sheikh Jingir in Kano, saying the commission had condemned such incidents and called for appropriate prosecution.
He stressed the need for a national culture that promotes unity, tolerance and respect for fundamental rights.
The executive secretary further noted that the rapid growth of social media and artificial intelligence had created new challenges for human rights protection, requiring institutions and citizens to understand how rights such as freedom of expression, association and dignity apply in the digital space.
To strengthen its response, the NHRC entered into a partnership with Hope Behind Bars Africa under the Justice Tech-Node initiative.
Ojukwu said the initiative would develop an integrated response to technology-enabled human rights violations and contribute to Nigeria’s emerging technology justice ecosystem, particularly for young and vulnerable citizens.
He said the programme would focus on prevention as well as redress, noting that the commission should not merely document violations after they occur.
“A human rights commission that only counts violations after they occur is doing half of its job,” Ojukwu said.
He explained that the initiative would seek to identify and prevent technology-enabled abuses before they become widespread.
The NHRC said the formal partnership with Hope Behind Bars Africa would build on their existing collaboration and was expected to deliver measurable outcomes for Nigerians whose rights are threatened both offline and online.
The commission said the July findings and Justice Tech-Node initiative were particularly significant as Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections and technology continues to play a growing role in citizens’ communication, mobilisation and everyday activities.
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