COVID-19: How To Report Security Officials Violating Human Rights During Lockdown

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued guidelines on how Nigerians can report security officers who violate their human rights while imposing the lockdown order given by President Muhammadu Buhari in some states.

The NHRC said it took the next step towards reported cases of human rights violations by security officers who are enforcing the government order on COVID-19.

The human rights agency therefore instructed its staff to monitor and document all cases of human rights violations across the country for the necessary actions.

“Members of the public can report by phone or by SMS or video to relevant Commission staff.

“They must ensure that such reports include the location of the violation, the date and time of such violations, including a clear description of the alleged offenders and their victims, gender and vulnerability (if possible, name, sex, classification and security outfit) ( s) or employee (s), ”said Commission Secretary Tony Ojukwu yesterday.

The Commission listed Lagos and Ogun, as well as the FCT – where the Federal Government gave guidelines for a two-week block over COVID-19, – for strict monitoring.

Any complaints of human rights violations, according to the Commission, should be reported for documentation and forwarded to the Commissioners of Police in the three areas for redress, via:

i) CP FCT: 08033438900

ii) CP Lagos: 08033438179 and

iii) CP Ogun: 08033438900

Any complaints of violations involving the Armed Forces must be reported to the Commission for documentation and referred for redress to Director Army, Civil and Military Affairs, 08057750691.

All cases of violations of human rights involving the police must be reported to police commissioners in the various states and to Commission offices across the country.

Members of the public, spectators and eyewitnesses who can obtain video coverage of any violation are encouraged to forward it to the numbers designated by the NHRC for reporting and documenting human rights violations during the implementation of the COVID-19 Regulation.

The numbers include 08037875427, 08179371339, 08034354537, and 07033398657.

The NHRC, therefore, asked law enforcement agencies to refrain from all forms of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of Nigerians in implementing government guidelines.