Washington — The United States has accused Nigerian security forces of widespread human rights violations, including torture, cruel and inhuman treatment, sexual abuse, and arbitrary arrests, under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In its 2024 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, released by the Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, the U.S. said some units of the police, military, and Department of State Services (DSS) were implicated in abuses, often with impunity.
The report cited the case of Segun Olatunji, former editor of FirstNews Online, who was detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency on March 15, held incommunicado for two weeks, and allegedly tortured and humiliated over reports on corruption.
It also highlighted sexual exploitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs), including children in Borno State, by some security officials, and reported cases of gender-based violence against female inmates by prison guards.
Although Nigerian law prohibits torture and degrading treatment, the U.S. noted weak enforcement, with penalties rarely prescribed or applied. By the end of 2024, 30 states had passed laws aligned with federal anti-torture legislation, yet accountability remained elusive.
The report further raised concerns over the persistence of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), despite a federal ban. A UN Population Fund survey showed that while 22 states outlawed the practice, enforcement was rare, with one in four women and girls still subjected to it.
“The government claimed to investigate and prosecute abusive officers, but the results were seldom made public,” the report stated, adding that entrenched impunity within Nigeria’s security institutions remains a “significant problem.”
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