By Peter Uwumarogie
Gombe – The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says it received 225 complaints from residents of Gombe State on cases of human rights violations in the state between January and October.
The Gombe State Co-ordinator, NHRC, Mohammed Ayuba disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Friday.
Ayuba said the commission had recorded a slight increase in violation of human rights in 2019 when compared to the 220 complainants recorded from January to December in 2018.
The coordinator said that the spate of violation of rights of children was particularly giving the commission serious concerns.
According to him, this had necessitated the development of strategies including effective sensitization through religious organisations to arrest the menace.
He said that out of the 225 complaints received so far this year, 70 per cent of the cases were domestic violence, stressing that domestic violence was almost becoming a norm based on its frequency.
“I am aware that several Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the state and beyond are carrying out sensitisation against domestic violence and human rights violations in the state but more needs to be done.
“ We have received over 225 complaints and we are doing a lot to address the issues. Out of these complaints, 70 per cent are on domestic violence.
“The figure for this year is more than the complaints we recorded in 2018. Even in 2018, 70 per cent of cases received were on domestic violence. This is almost becoming a norm,’’ he said.
While stressing that there was no justification whatsoever for violence in homes, Ayuba said that a lot of the complaints on domestic violence between couples were often due to misunderstanding and economic factor.
He appealed to couples to embrace effective communication in addressing issues at home instead of resorting to violence.
Ayuba said that interactions with children from homes where domestic violence was common showed that the psychological impact on the children was devastating.