The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the Federal Government to urgently ratify the Draft Policy on Protection of Civilians and Civilian Harm Mitigation, calling it a crucial framework for protecting civilians during security operations.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Tony Ojukwu, made this appeal during the mid-term review meeting for the project on “Protection of Forcibly Displaced Persons through Human Rights Information Data Collection and Documentation in Nigeria” in Keffi, Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria.
Represented by the Project Coordinator and Head of Monitoring at the Commission, Dr Benedict Agu, Ojukwu highlighted that the policy would prevent, minimise, and address civilian harm, aligning Nigeria with regional and international human rights and humanitarian standards.
Supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the project has managed 3,096 human rights cases and trained 80 security personnel in protecting the rights of forcibly displaced persons (FDPs), including internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, asylum seekers, and returnees.
Ojukwu emphasised that adopting the policy would bolster the fight against human rights violations and create a sustainable framework for protecting vulnerable populations in conflict situations.