The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised concern over the hidden nature of elder abuse in Nigeria, warning that many violations suffered by older persons remain trapped within families and communities, where they are often treated as private matters rather than human rights cases.

The Commission said abuse of older persons could take several forms, including physical and psychological abuse, financial exploitation, neglect and harmful traditional practices, but victims often remain invisible to institutions responsible for protecting their rights.

Speaking at an NHRC training programme on the rights and protection of older persons, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Tony Ojukwu, said the growing population of older persons had brought new human rights challenges that required stronger institutional responses.

Ojukwu said older persons were rights-holders entitled to dignity, equality and protection under the law, stressing that their age should not make their grievances less visible or their rights less enforceable.

He said one of the objectives of the training was to equip NHRC personnel with the skills to recognise, document, and investigate different forms of abuse against older persons, and to strengthen advocacy for their protection.

The Executive Secretary said the problem went beyond the existence of abuse to the ability of institutions and communities to identify and respond to it.

According to him, many older persons continue to suffer in silence, often outside the reach of formal protection systems.

The situation creates a difficult human rights gap because some of the people responsible for an older person’s housing, finances, food or healthcare may also be relatives or caregivers.