The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) received 241 complaints of human rights violations in Gombe State between July and September 2026.
Joseph Wanshe, the state’s NHRC coordinator, disclosed this in an interview with reporters in Gombe on Friday, noting that 148 of the complaints, representing 61.4 per cent, involved violations of the rights of women and children.
He said the violations included child abandonment, denial of child custody, domestic violence, inhumane treatment and denial of access to education.
According to him, 82 complaints, representing 34 per cent, involved civil and political rights violations, including unlawful detention, physical assault, threats to life, inheritance disputes, breach of trust, and non-payment of debts.
He added that 11 complaints, representing 4.6 per cent, concerned economic, social and cultural rights violations, including non-payment of earned wages, labour and employment disputes, unauthorised sale of property and denial of basic economic livelihoods.
The coordinator said the figures showed that more than six out of every 10 complaints the commission received during the third quarter involved violations of the rights of women and children.
He described the trend as an indication of the urgent need to strengthen social support systems and enforce laws against domestic neglect and child abandonment in communities.
Wanshe also said the commission had resolved about 181 of the 241 complaints, representing 75 per cent, through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
He attributed the increase in complaints during the third quarter, compared with the first half of the year, to intensified sensitisation and public awareness campaigns across the state.
“The increase is attributed to our continuous sensitisation, campaigns and awareness creation.
“Our resolution of human rights violations has encouraged more people to approach us, including through referrals from beneficiaries who have accessed the commission’s services,” he said.
He reiterated the commission’s commitment to ensuring that all residents of Gombe State have access to remedies for human rights violations.
Wanshe urged residents to continue reporting abuses to the commission for appropriate intervention, stressing that its services are free.
“Cases reported to the commission are treated without any fee,” he said.
