Annual Report

FOREWARD

On behalf of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, it is my pleasure to appreciate the efforts of the entire staff and management of the Commission for the good work done in 2021, which has been chronicled in this Annual Report. The year was remarkable in the life of the Commission as it saw the inauguration of the 5th Governing Council, after 5 years without a Council.

As a National Human Rights Institution, there is no gainsaying the fact that the year 2021 presented multifarious challenges to the Commission. In addition to the unrelenting insurgency, banditry, wave of kidnappings, farmers/herders clashes, increasing number of internally displaced persons, there was the emergence of the phenomenon of the unknown gunmen, agitation for self-determination in the South East and South West, agitations for Islamic State in the North East which contributed in no small measure to the general insecurity in the country. Spiraling inflation and shortages have also overpriced staples out of reach, in the wake of rising poverty. Particularly disturbing were growing incidences of attacks and various abuses against children in and outside institutions of learning. All these had their consequences on human rights and made the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria very challenging.

PREFACE
The Year 2021 in Nigeria was fraught with a lot of economic and socio-political challenges. In addition to the unrelenting insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria: farmers/herders clashes; and a rising wave of banditry and kidnappings, there was the phenomenon of the

PREFACE

The year 2020 was a very challenging one for the country in general. There was a rising wave of kidnappings, banditry, farmers/herders conflicts, as well as un-abating insurgency, which threw up a number of human rights challenges. The year also witnessed an increasing turbulence in the polity as a result of ethnic and nationalistic agitations by sections of the country, as well as the #EndSARS protests, coupled with the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

The year was particularly challenging for the Commission as the national institution for promoting and protecting the rights of Nigerians and residents, as all the aforementioned challenges had attendant human rights and humanitarian implications. The year was therefore a busy one for the Commission in spite of the lockdown and restriction of movements occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

PREFACE

In the year 2019, the Commission recorded major milestones in ensuring the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights in the country. The Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, Esq. actualized the realization of establishing the National Human Rights Commission offices in all the 36 States of the federation including the FCT in order to increase visibility and accessibility of the Commission. Prior to that, the Commission had offices in 24 States. Also the Commission employed and trained 210 staff whose capacities on human rights defence were broadened so as to provide effective response to complaints on human rights violations and abuses.