As the world celebrates the International Human Rights Day, Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP) has urged the Nigerian Government to advance human rights by ensuring equality of all Nigerians in dignity and rights.

This year’s theme, “Equality – Reducing Inequality, Advancing Human Rights” relates to Article 1 of the UDHR, which provides that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity of right. LEADAP, in a statement signed by its Programme Manager, Pamela Okoroigwe, said repeated mass atrocities and crimes, kidnappings, incessant extrajudicial killings and torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, police brutality, discrimination, injustice, and gross inequalities, rape, sexual and gender-based violence are some of the widespread human rights violations in the country.

“Worse, these violations disproportionately impacts society’s most vulnerable members, such as women, girls, young people, and individuals with disabilities. “Impunity, ineffective institutions, and a lack of political will to hold perpetrators of all forms of human rights crimes accountable are all key obstacles to human rights implementation. Corruption and failure of this regime to hold high level officers accountable for allegations of corruption also contribute to inequality in the country,” they said. LEDAP also call on the Nigerian government to promote human rights and equality by incorporating a human rights-based approach into all sectors of government, particularly the criminal justice system, so as to minimize corruption and eliminate prejudice. “Public officers must declare their assets and submit to public scrutiny if the government is to be taken serious about its avowed agenda adiantum corruption. The government must put in place effective mechanisms to investigate complaints of human rights violations, prosecute offenders and bring them to justice,” they added.

The body further urge the Lagos state government and the federal government to fully implement the report of the Lagos state #EndSars panel and fund the federal #EndSars panel to demonstrate its commitment against police brutality.