HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN NIGERIA, 1984 - 2024

Abstract

This study examines the history of human rights violations in Nigeria from 1984 to 2024, a period spanning military rule, democratic transition, and contemporary governance. It investigates patterns of abuse such as arbitrary arrests, press censorship, extra-judicial killings, and the suppression of minority and opposition voices. Drawing on both primary and secondary sources, the research highlights how authoritarian military regimes of the 1980s and 1990s entrenched a culture of abuse, while subsequent civilian governments, despite democratic reforms, continued to grapple with corruption, insecurity, and weak institutions that enabled violations to persist. The study also evaluates the roles of civil society, human rights organizations, and the judiciary in challenging state excesses and promoting accountability. Findings reveal that although democratization has expanded civic freedoms and improved legal protections, recurring abuses reflect enduring structural and political challenges. The research concludes that Nigeria’s human rights struggle remains an unfinished project, shaped by the tension between constitutional ideals and entrenched practices of impunity.