Human Rights Organizations In Nigeria (2024): Full List

by Ezeh Emmanuella

This article is about the full list of human rights organisations in Nigeria this 2024. Human rights in Nigeria, as is the case everywhere in the world, are those rights or attributes that are part of the essential nature of humans. In a free world, every human is entitled to basic rights that should be expressed without being suppressed. These rights are legal entitlements which every citizen in Nigeria should enjoy and express without the fear of being suppressed by the government or fellow citizens of the country.

Human Rights Organizations In Nigeria

Fundamental human rights are those rights which man expresses by default because he is human and because those rights are very essential for his continuous happy existence with himself, and everyone else in the society. Many Nigerians do not know their fundamental human rights are as citizens of the country and would cower at any and every form of intimidation from just about anybody. In this article, we have compiled the fundamental human rights of Nigerians and given a comprehensive list of human rights organizations that are situated in Nigeria currently.

FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS OF NIGERIANS: FULL LIST

The information below is a compilation of the fundamental human rights in Nigeria as stipulated by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

RIGHT TO LIFE

Under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, every citizen in the country has the right to life and no one shall be intentionally deprived of his life. However, the constitution provides exceptions where violation of this Right is legally accepted. Such instances include:

Where the taking of the life is in execution of a sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence in which the person has been found guilty in Nigeria.
Where the loss of life is as a result of the use of such force as is reasonably necessary and in such circumstances as permitted by law: for the defence of any person from unlawful violence or defence of property; in order to make a lawful arrest or prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained; or for the purpose of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny.

Apart from the above circumstances listed, any violation of a person’s right to life is an abuse of that person’s fundamental rights and is usually found in torture and extra-judicial killings.

RIGHT TO DIGNITY OF HUMAN PERSON

Everybody in Nigeria is entitled to the respect of his/her dignity. No one in the country is to be subjected to torture or inhuman treatment, be held in slavery or servitude or be required to perform forced or compulsory labour.

RIGHT TO PERSONAL LIBERTY

Under the Constitution, every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of this right except in special circumstances and in accordance with a procedure permitted by law. It is the right not to be subjected to imprisonment, arrest and other physical coercion in any manner that does not have legal justification. The right is the freedom to live as one chooses without too many restrictions or constraints from the government or its agencies. It also assures a person of the freedom to stay or move about at his own will, direction and time.

RIGHT TO FAIR HEARING

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees a person the right to fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law in determination of his/her civil rights and obligations including a question or determination by or against any government or authority. The Constitution also provides that the court or tribunal shall be constituted in a manner as to secure its independence and impartiality in determining the said civil rights and obligations.

The law goes on to provide that civil proceedings of the court or tribunal shall be held in public and where a person is charged with a criminal offence, he/she shall, unless the charge is withdrawn, also be entitled to fair hearing in public within a reasonable time by the court or tribunal and be presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Right to Fair Hearing is the cornerstone of justice.

RIGHT TO PRIVATE AND FAMILY LIFE

This guarantees and protects the right to the privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications. This right has been described as recognition of the saying that “a man’s home is his castle”. The right guarantees that security agencies should not tap ones phone lines or subject ones house to unwarranted searches or seizure of one’s property.

However, there have been instances of violation of this right, particularly cases of police entering people’s homes in the course of arrest of a suspected criminal or investigation of criminal matters without obtaining the proper search warrants.

RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, CONSCIENCE AND RELIGION

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides for secularity in Nigeria, guaranteeing the peoples entitlement to religious freedom including freedom to change religion or belief and manifest and propagate ones religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.

The law also states that:

No person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instruction or to take part in any religious ceremony relating to a religion not his own.
No religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community or denomination in any place of education maintained wholly by that community or denomination.
Nothing in the provision of the Constitution shall entitle any person to form, take part in the activity or be a member of secret society.

RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AT THE PRESS

The constitution states that every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.

RIGHT TO PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION

Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons and form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interest.

RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry or exit.

Exceptions for the violation of this right as provided by the constitution include the following:

Any law imposing restrictions on the residence or movement of any person who has committed a criminal offence in order to prevent him from leaving the country.
Any law providing for the removal of any person from Nigeria to another country to be tried outside Nigeria for any criminal offence or to undergo imprisonment outside Nigeria in execution of the sentence of a court of law in respect of a criminal offence he has been found guilty of provided that there is a reciprocal agreement between Nigeria and the other country.
Another exception to this right are the environmental sanitation laws which restricts the movement of people before a certain time during the monthly environmental sanitation exercises.

Apart from the above exceptions, any restriction on the movement of a person, such as kidnapping, is a violation of that person’s right.

RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION

Every citizen shall not be subjected to any form of discrimination, disability or deprivation by reason of to his/her community, ethnic group, place of origin, circumstances of birth, sex, religion or political opinion.

RIGHT TO ACQUIRE AND OWN IMMOVABLE PROPERTY ANYWHERE IN NIGERIA

Every citizen of Nigeria shall have the right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria.

RIGHT TO VOTE AND BE VOTED FOR

In any election in the country, any Nigerian citizen 18 years and above is entitled to actively participate in any form of election provided that all regulations guiding electoral regulatory bodies are fulfilled.

RIGHT TO EDUCATION

Every Nigerian is entitled to education at any institution of their choice provided that he/she meets the requirements of the institution without discrimination.

The above mentioned are the basic human rights that everyone in Nigeria is entitled to and if at anytime there is an infringement on your rights, we have given a list of human rights organizations in the country to contact should you choose to.