Nigeria Security Crisis: Rights Body Demands Urgent Legislative Action
ABUJA — The International Human Rights Commission – Relief Fund Trust (IHRC-RFT), Nigeria Chapter, has warned that democratic institutions will be judged by their response to the nation’s deepening security emergency. The group issued a sharp critique of the National Assembly’s legislative inaction following a seminal address by a federal lawmaker last November.
The statement, signed by Country Director Amb. Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu, commends House of Representatives Member Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa for a “courageous intervention” on the floor of the House in November 2025. During that session, Doguwa declared Nigeria was “running in blood and tears,” a description the IHRC affirmed reflected the painful reality for millions. The Commission cited abandoned farmlands, displaced communities, attacked worship centres, and widespread killings as evidence of a multi-faceted crisis involving banditry, kidnappings, and communal violence.
Doguwa’s call for urgent, decisive legislative action was praised as a display of responsibility over partisanship. However, the IHRC expressed profound concern that nearly four months later, no substantial improvement in the security situation is evident. “The frequency of violent incidents across multiple regions continues to raise grave concern,” the statement noted.
The Commission directly addressed the leadership of the National Assembly, asking: “Where does this matter currently stand?” and “Why has decisive and visible legislative action not followed the passionate appeal?” It argued that a member raising a fundamental issue touching on the constitutional duty to protect life must trigger an immediate institutional response, including strategic oversight and accountability.
Prolonged inaction, the IHRC warned, risks normalizing criminality, eroding public trust, encouraging impunity, and expanding the operational space for armed groups, thereby undermining national cohesion. The crisis, it stressed, is national, not sectional, partisan, or religious. The group clarified its non-partisan stance, aligning solely with principles of human life, dignity, and rights.
“Commendation alone is not enough,” the statement asserted, calling on all lawmakers in both chambers to collectively convert words into enforceable action. “Nigerians deserve to see outcomes, not only expressions of concern.” The IHRC concluded that the crisis demands urgency, courage, and measurable intervention. “History will judge institutions not by the intensity of their debates, but by the effectiveness of their response. The time to act is now.”
