REVEALED: Gender violence tops rights abuse complaints in Ekiti in 2022 – NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission has said that 244 complaints bordering on human rights abuses were lodged in its office in Ekiti State last year.

NHRC State Coordinator, Biodun Adigun, who said complaints on women and gender-based violence was the most prominent, said that the commission, in collaboration with security agencies were leaving no stone unturned in ensuring justice for victims and appropriate legal sanctions for violators.

Adigun spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Saturday while playing host to members of Albinism Network Association led by their State/Regional Coordinator, Muyiwa Abegunde, who were on an advocacy visit to the commission in respect to matter affecting people with albinism. 

He encouraged members of the association to approach NHRC with their matters, saying that the commission in the state had been supporting albinos and as well other vulnerable groups as he assured them of increased collaboration. 

He said that complaints received by NHRC in the state last year comprised 135 on women and gender-based violence, 61 on child-related offences, 11 cases of civil and political rights and 37 cases of economic and socio-cultural rights, while none came from vulnerable groups.

The NHRC coordinator, who urged residents of Ekiti State to cultivate the habit of reaching the commission with their complaints of rights abuse, said that the commission had concluded arrangements to embark on a sensitisation tour of communities outside the state capital to create awareness and avail them of the necessary information on the working of the commission.

He said, “We discovered that 80 per cent of people that have been coming in respect of abuse of their rights whether they have been abused by security agencies, people in community or neighbourhood especially violation against women are from Ado Ekiti.

“As such, we are targeting some of the communities and local governments within Ekiti State to sensitise the residents.

“We will begin with Efon Alaaye, Ido Ile, and Okemesi Ekiti as test case. We want to have contacts through traditional institutions, community elders, clergymen, market women and students,” he said.

Earlier, ANA Coordinator, Abegunde, urged the commission to look into the albinos’ matters with a view to protecting the rights of people with albinism, who he described as members of the people living with disabilities community and amenable to diseases particularly skin cancer. 

Abegunde, who alleged intimidation, oppression and sexual violence against PWDs including albinos also sought the support of the commission to ensure members of the PWD community in the state were made to work at and as well head Ekiti Disability Office in line with the provision of the law establishing it.