Insecurity, police abuses, press attacks shaped Nigeria’s human rights profile in 2025

Nigeria’s commitment to human rights continued to face tests in 2025.

Data from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) revealed a plunge in human rights complaints at the beginning of the year compared to the last month of 2024. However, as the year progressed, the number increased steadily until it had grown threefold.

Although the data covered a range of violations, some forms stood out for the spike they recorded or their pervasive nature.

The complaints, precipitated by the activities of both state and non-state actors, raised questions about Nigeria’s commitment to security and regard for human rights in law enforcement.

The economic pressures on many Nigerians from the past years persisted and continued to drive civil actions. This, in turn, tested the tolerance of the police and security agencies for fundamental rights. Insecurity too emerged as a major contributor to human rights abuses in the year.

This piece reviews some notable incidents and developments that shaped Nigeria’s human rights outlook in 2025.

Abductions and killings in 2025

Within the year, Nigeria witnessed several cases of abductions, including kidnappings of students, continuing a long line of student abductions since the Chibok girls tragedy of 2014.

In November, terrorists abducted 25 school girls from Maga Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, North-west Nigeria, and killed two teachers.

Within the same month, terrorists attacked St Mary’s School, a Catholic-owned institution in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, north-central Nigeria and abducted 265 students and staff members.

These incidents generated tension across Nigeria and brought the widespread insecurity in the country into the global spotlight, which has intensified following the United States government’s renewed interest in what it described as the killings of Christians in northern Nigeria since the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, the reality of the insecurity in Nigeria is that it does not recognise religious lines.

In reaction to the Niger and Kebbi kidnappings, the federal government ordered the closure of all Unity Schools, and the governors of Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, and Yobe States similarly halted school activities.

While the government’s measures might appear protective, their aftermath left a grim reality for the right to education.