Mr Lucas Koyejo, Director, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Lagos Zone, says the commission received over 100 petitions of rights violations in the state in 11 months.
Koyejo revealed this to reporters in Lagos on Thursday, on the sidelines of a 16-day United Nations activism programme to raise awareness about violations of women’s and girls’ rights in the state.
The theme for the 2023 campaign is: “End GBV and harmful practices against women and girls in Nigeria.”
The director stated that the number of petitions for males and females was growing by the day, particularly for females, and asked victims to constantly speak up and fight for their rights.
“Whether a man or woman, everybody needs to have their rights protected. Though most of the time, it is the rights of women that are violated.
“So, people need to report to the commission if they have their rights violated. At the same time, If it is a crime, they also need to report to the police,” he said.
Koyejo urged citizens to speak up and report infractions to the NHRC using the toll-free shortcode 6472.
The commission’s director, staff, and some NGOs went on a road walk in Ikeja to raise awareness about violations of women’s and girls’ rights.