The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has reported an alarming surge in human rights violation complaints across Nigeria, with 261,483 cases recorded in April 2025 alone, representing a 20 percent month-on-month increase.

NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, disclosed this information on Friday, highlighting that killings and kidnappings were the most prevalent forms of human rights abuses during the period under review.

According to the commission, the Middle Belt region accounted for 35 percent of all reported violations, with Benue, Plateau, and Borno states collectively representing 60 percent of killings nationwide in April.

"The crisis in the Middle Belt is not new but has continued for decades without a solution," Ojukwu lamented, referring to the persistent attacks that have claimed hundreds of lives and left many more injured.

The human rights chief specifically pointed to the devastating attacks in Plateau and Benue states, as well as the resurgence of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) activities in Borno, as major contributors to the grim statistics.

In response to these concerning developments, the NHRC has called for "independent, impartial, prompt investigation of all the cases," emphasizing that "the right to life is non-negotiable."

Ojukwu urged the federal government, state authorities, and relevant security agencies to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of these violations. He also advocated for support services for victims and sustained investment in peacebuilding initiatives.

Despite the overwhelming number of new complaints, the commission reported that it successfully resolved 863 human rights violation petitions during the same period.

The NHRC's report comes at a time of heightened security concerns across Nigeria, particularly in the Middle Belt region, which has long been plagued by communal conflicts, banditry, and terrorist activities.