Human Rights and the Humanitarian Implications of the Security Situation in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

This paper explored human rights and humanitarian impact of the security situation in Northern Nigeria. This is against the backdrop of rising spate of insecurity occasioned by inter-communal/ inter-ethnic clashes, farmers-herders crisis, and disputes over land, boundary conflicts between indigenous people and settlers, communal and ethno-religious clashes, electoral violence as well as insurgency. To achieve this, it employed a doctrinal research method and relied on content analysis of relevant literatures such as statutes, books; journals; newspapers, magazines; conference, seminar and workshop papers and internet materials. It argued that the security situation in northern Nigeria have resulted in socio-economic and political insecurity, forced internal displacement, humanitarian challenges, gruesome abuses of human rights. This paper submitted that this scenario portends serious threat to the sustenance of national security in Nigeria. This paper recommended that government should address risen poverty, inequality, unemployment and deprivation among its citizenry especially the youths; intensify the enforcement of legal and human rights mechanisms that seek to provide protection for victims against human rights violations by the state, as well as abuses by non-state actors. Also required is increased access to justice and accountability for all abuses and violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law regardless of the position or rank of the perpetrator, creating unhindered and secure access for humanitarian agencies to the displaced and other civilians in need of assistance as well provide remedies for women and girls whose human rights have been violated, strengthening of international human rights monitoring mechanisms in collaboration with national human rights institutions, provide training for security agencies in particular on respect of human rights in the context of preventing arbitrary use of force, tackle corruption and ensure a direct link between victims and agencies involved in providing humanitarian services and an increase in budgetary allocation for agencies saddled with the responsibilities of managing displacement and other humanitarian activities such as National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).