Covid-19:NHRC Accuses Security Forces Of Human Rights Violations

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed its staff to monitor and document all cases of human rights violations across the country for necessary actions after its received cases of human rights violations by security operatives enforcing government directives on COVID-19.

Accusing security forces of human rights violations, NHRC through Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, said the public should report by telephone calls or text messages or video to relevant staff of the commission and ensure that such reports include the location of the violation, date, time of such violations including a clear description of alleged violators and their victims, their gender and vulnerability.

NHRC’s compliant is coming two days after the commencement of the lockdown in Lagos and Abuja.

“Complaints should be reported to the commission for documentation and directed for redress to the commissioners of police of the three areas which include: CP FCT: ‪08033438900; CP Lagos: ‪08033438179, and CP Ogun: ‪08033438900,” Ojukwu noted.

The commission also recommended that complaints of violations involving the military should be reported to the commission for documentation and directed for redress to the Director Army, Civil Military Affairs: ‪08057750691.

The executive secretary, however, alleged that there were reports that some security operatives were openly torturing and violating the rights of citizens in flagrant disregard to rules of their engagements, the laws of Nigeria and its international obligations having warned the agencies to refrain.

The NHRC numbers for reporting and documenting human rights violations during the implementation of COVID-19 regulations are: 08037875427, ‪08179371339, 08034354537, and ‪07033398657.