The National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (NHRC) expressed its fears on Wednesday about the rising increase of human rights violation cases. At the inauguration of the human rights dashboard and observatory on Tuesday, senior advisor to the executive secretary of the commission Hillary Ogbonna  highlighted key issues.

Human rights violations in Nigeria include domestic violence, kidnapping cases and rape—among other sexual acts of violence. Last year, the commission received many complaints. This year, the commission expects to receive a higher number.

The commission reported that, among the 1147 cases reported in January, domestic violence, including wife battery, had the highest number of cases. Above 60 percent of the cases are those involving women and girls. The north central zone of Nigeria had the highest number of cases, with Abuja reporting a total of 382 cases. Last year the commission received many complaints and this year a higher number is expected.

Perpetrators of these violations include state actors and non-state actors. An example of state actors involved in human rights violations is the police, while non-state actors include what the commission referred to as terrorists and bandits. Although the commission recognized the Nigerian police as one source of human rights violations, it also condemned the killing of law enforcement agents, including the police. This is because, the commission reasoned, the Nigerian police and other law enforcement agencies are critical to the enjoyment of peace, security and human rights.

Chapter IV of the Nigerian Constitution provides for fundamental rights. The NHRC was created by the National Human Rights Commission Act. It was established to protect human rights, dignity and freedoms.

According to  Ogbonna, the commission is committing itself to research and find reasons for the increase in human rights violations. It has promised to give explanations for the rise by early March. The commission aims to improve the culture of human rights by creating awareness and increasing mechanisms for reporting violations of human rights. It has also taken as its mandate to hold the government accountable for protecting the people of Nigeria from human rights violations.

An existing mechanism for reporting violation cases is the use of a toll-free line that is accessible across Nigeria. The line connects the complainant to the call center which receives the complaint and directs it to the appropriate institution to deal with it. The commission is finalizing a process of having an online reporting mechanism which will be available in the next few months.

The commission aims to promote its mandate by having a monthly reporting process that will contribute to an annual report. It is also seeking a way to link up with other governmental agencies, such as human rights affairs, with the mandate to collect and receive complaints. According to Ogbonna, this is possible because the commission is the only institution based in the 36 states and the federal capital.

The commission’s human rights dashboard and observatory will be used to monitor and analyze monthly statistics for human rights violations in Nigeria.