President Muhammadu Buhari in a Press Statement on 13th April 2020, extended the Lockdown period for 14 more days effective 13th – 27th April 2020. The lockdown period was further extended from 27th April to 4th May, 2020.
This report therefore documents the various incidents of human rights violation allegedly perpetrated by security agencies and other actors during the extended lockdown period commencing from 13th April to 4th May, 2020.
The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Office of the Acting President, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, GCON, SAN, requested the National Human Rights Commission to constitute a Panel on the Reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on 15th August, 2018. This followed the wide public outcry against the alleged human rights abuses by officers of SARS across the country.
The NHRC inaugurated the panel on 28th August, 2018 with the mandate to investigate, make recommendations and advice government on the reform of SARS and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). The Panel had three months to accomplish its assignment.
The development of Human Rights has been a continuous quest by the United Nations since its inception. The first recorded discussion on the subject of National Human Rights Institutions took place in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1946 when the council invited member states to consider the desirability of establishing information groups or local Human Rights Committee within their respective countries to collaborate with them in furthering the work of the commission on human rights.
Indeed only a very small number of independent NHRIs had been established in any region before 1990, when the Commission on human rights decided to hold a meeting on the subject of National Human Rights Institutions. This conference which convened in Paris in 1991, prepared a set of “Principles relating to the status of National Institutions” - “Paris principles”.
The National Human Rights Commission Act 1995 as amended, empowers the Commission to amongst others "undertake studies on all matters pertaining to human rights and assist the Federal, State and LocalGovernments where it considers it appropriate to do so in the formulation of appropriate policies on the guarantee of human rights."
In compliance with this, the Commission ear-marked the important issue of Human Rights and Maternal Mortality in Nigeria, as one of the key human rights related studies to be undertaken in its 2015 work-plan. This report highlights the findings of the pilot survey carried out in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, on women's access to Health Care Facilities in the Six Area councils. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Health Care facilities in these 6 Area Councils were selected and visited by staff of the Commission. Questionnaires were administered to staff and women undergoing antenatal and post-natal care in the health care facilities, and the outcome are shown in this report
