By Abdussamad Ahmad Yusuf
It’s never comforting to hear stories of human rights abuse such as the extrajudicial detention of a mother in Adamawa by military operatives, because her husband allegedly “attended preachings held by the Boko Haram group in its early days”; police raids and harassment in a community already terrorised by bandits; or the violation of international labour laws and harsh treatment meted out to workers at the Dangote refinery. However, these stories mirror the fragility of civilian rights’ protection in conflict-ridden Nigeria and the ease with which private entities also flout the dictates of human rights. They call for deep introspection.
A 2024 Freedom in the World report from the Freedom House gives country-specific data that scored Nigeria 44 out of 100 combined for both political and civil liberties, alluding to excessive force by the military, terrorism, discrimination and general security challenges.
Nigeria is a signatory to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights adopted in 1981 by the member states of the African Union. The Charter, a 68-article document clearly enunciates: fundamental human rights to dignity, life and equal protection, liberty and security, and the right to appeal against violation of the rights, among others. Yet, concerns for human rights have been growing in the past decade because Nigerians have found themselves at the fringes of conflict and poverty that make them even more vulnerable to human rights abuse. Almost evenly distributed, conflict in Nigeria has taken a toll across the six geopolitical zones of the country, with poverty-stricken Nigerians totalling more than 90 million out of a roughly 200 million population according to the world poverty clock. It is pertinent to note also that over 2 million people are internally displaced and another 300,000 have fled to neighbouring countries as displaced persons. These factors, including the shrinking civic space, reduce the opportunity to demand accountability, and widen the susceptibility of citizens to human rights violations. True to words in the special rapporteur from the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “For those living in poverty, many human rights are out of reach. ”
It is against this backdrop that HumAngle Foundation recently led a pivotal conversation around human rights violation and accountability in Nigeria—spanning six major stories by HumAngle Media on the subject. The conversation explored how best to promote accountability, justice and protect rights, especially for people who have been subjected to inhumane treatment by law enforcement agents and the custodians of justice.
X Space Chat—Analysing human rights violations and charting the path to accountability
In commemoration of the International Human Rights day, and to mark the close out of the global 16 Days of Activism campaign for the year 2024, on the 10th December, journalists, civil society activists and an excited audience gathered for a conversation hosted by HumAngle Foundation on X (formerly Twitter) Space.
The X Space chat was conceived to elaborate on the selected human rights violation reports by HumAngle Media. The stories underscore the urgent need for a stronger system of accountability in Nigeria’s security sector and broader adherence to human rights principles by both public and private enterprises.
Barbara Maigari-Magaji, Programmes Manager, Amnesty International Nigeria; Salaudeen Hashim, Director of Programmes, CLEEN Foundation; Manasseh Mbachii, freelance journalist and HTCIF alumnus; Adejumo Kabir, Editor, Southern Operations at HumAngle Media; and Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu, Managing Editor, HumAngle Media were strategically empanelled to speak from their varying perspectives.
Angela Umoru-David, the Director of HumAngle Foundation while opening the Space Chat emphasized the vulnerability of Nigerians to human rights violations. She highlighted the Foundation’s commitment to addressing issues that impact every human, in order to draw attention to them with the aim of influencing accountability.
The speakers delved into the landscape of human rights violations and its enablers in Nigeria. For instance, Adejumo Kabir lamented the inefficiency of the judicial system and weak implementation of laws such as the international and local labour laws. He also noted the widespread lack of awareness on human rights and how to access or demand accountability by citizens.
The conversation identified that documenting violation cases builds concrete evidence and is useful in seeking accountability because it is through evidence-based advocacy that authorities can be confronted and reform instituted. However, there is a pervasive lack of trust between the citizens and authorities. In communities where trust is absent, citizens are less likely to report violations, further complicating the pursuit of accountability.
A significant policy gap that emerged from the discussion is the enactment of laws that end up being ineffective in practice. This is particularly highlighted with the Nigeria Police Force having the old police regulation of 2004, replaced by the Police Act of 2020, which still does not translate into proper policing, accountability and preservation of human rights.
Similarly, labour laws on their parts have not been explicit in their provisions. This vagueness has created loopholes for private companies and businesses to exploit staff and often lure them into signing confidentiality agreements that bar them from demanding for their rights and pursuing accountability when violated.
Pursuing Accountability: The Innovative Solutions
The conversation examined opportunities for advocacy and actionable tactics that will not only address human rights violations in the country but will yield an indelible policy shift. The recommendations are:
Policy harmonisation and alignment: Arms of government responsible for enacting laws and policies and interpretation (typically the legislature and judiciary) should be meticulous in making laws that are clear, detailed and align with existing laws. The labour act for instance, should be reviewed for clarity and to prevent workers’ exploitation holistically.
Training and capacity building: The military and the police in Nigeria ideally should operate in accordance with global best practices, observing complying with International Humanitarian Laws (IHL). This can be achieved by regularly building their capacity and training on human rights-based policing and operations.
Awareness and building public trust: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as an oversight agency which operates offices in the 36 states of the country should engage with civil society and the media for awareness creation and prosecution of human rights violations.
Documentation of violation: CSOs and human rights organisations should build on evidence-based advocacy by establishing an interconnected mechanism for systematically documenting violations. This can be facilitated through technology-assisted accountability platforms to track and report human rights abuses effectively.
Depoliticisation: Politicisation of accountability processes have often cripled the path to justice. We strongly recommended that the process of accountability at every stage should be made free from influences of political interests and allow the law to take its full course.
Addressing systemic issues in human rights violation and empowering citizens requires a collaborative approach to institute a robust accountability framework. Therefore, in the fight to create a culture that respects human rights, complementary action and widespread awareness campaigns must be the watchwords.
