National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sounded a fresh warning, urging authorities and stakeholders to move beyond declarations and take concrete action to protect vulnerable children.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, SAN, warned that the country’s future depended heavily on the well-being of today’s children, stressing that access to quality education and protection from abuse must become a national priority.

According to the commission, complaints involving violations of children’s rights continue to reach its Women and Children Department. The department, which investigates such cases, has over the years handled reports ranging from child neglect and abuse to labour exploitation and forced marriages.

The commission disclosed that it had intervened in several cases, facilitating the rescue of children from harmful situations and supporting efforts to reunite victims with their families. But rights advocates argue that the recurring nature of such complaints points to deeper structural challenges requiring stronger enforcement and accountability mechanisms.

MEANWHILE, the commission has described May 2026 as a “devastating month” for human rights in Nigeria, following a surge in killings, abductions, attacks on schools and worship centres, and alleged violations involving state actors.

According to Ojukwu, the NHRC received a total of 268,787 complaints during the month under review, with violations involving state actors remaining the most significant concern.

Ojukwu said the period was marked by incidents that “deeply challenged our collective commitment to human dignity and fundamental freedoms,” including the loss of civilian lives, abduction of children, attacks on worshippers and casualties among security personnel.

He cited the reported military airstrike in Tumfa, Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, where a civilian market was allegedly hit during an operation targeting terrorists.

The NHRC boss said the commission was engaging with the Nigerian Air Force on the incident and called for the adoption of the National Policy for the Protection of Civilians in Conflict.

He also urged a coordinated government approach to mitigating civilian harm, noting that the Air Force already had a Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan.

Ojukwu, however, raised concerns over persistent attacks on security formations and the killing of military and law enforcement personnel, stressing that security agencies required adequate support to confront Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

The NHRC Executive Secretary further highlighted attacks on education, revealing that armed attackers invaded schools in Oyo State and abducted over 45 pupils and teachers, who remained in captivity.

He added that more than 40 schoolchildren were targeted in another attack in Borno State, describing the repeated assault on schools as a serious threat to children’s rights and national security.

The commission commended security agencies for recent successes in neutralising terrorists and rescuing abducted persons, while also appreciating civil society groups, humanitarian organisations and the media for supporting human rights accountability.

Ojukwu reaffirmed that human rights remain a fundamental entitlement and not a privilege, stressing the need for every Nigerian to live with dignity, freedom and equality.