Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Prof. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo (SAN), has called for stronger regional human rights protection mechanisms in Nigeria’s South-East, warning that the region is facing a deepening crisis of insecurity, impunity and shrinking civic space.
Ezeilo made the call on Thursday, while delivering the keynote lecture at the launch of the Southeast Human Rights Bureau, the unveiling of the Open Source Reporting Platform, and a capacity-building programme for human rights defenders organised by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) in Enugu.
Speaking on the theme, “Beyond Resistance: Mobilizing Regional Human Rights Protection for Peace, Justice, and Accountability in Southeast Nigeria,” the renowned human rights advocate said the region had witnessed arbitrary arrests, prolonged detentions, excessive use of force, civic space restrictions, economic hardship and growing violence that have undermined public confidence in state institutions.
According to her, communities across the South-East now live in fear, not only of criminal elements but also of institutions established to protect them.
“We are here because human dignity in Southeast Nigeria is under siege, and our silence is no longer an option,” she declared, stressing that the gathering was more than the launch of another platform but a collective resolve to confront insecurity, state excesses and non-state violence.
Ezeilo described the establishment of the Southeast Human Rights Bureau and the Open Source Reporting Platform as a timely response to growing rights violations, saying the initiative would strengthen documentation, accountability, policy engagement and early warning systems across the region.
She noted that communities in the South-East are caught between violent non-state actors and heavy-handed security operations, while also drawing attention to what she described as the “modern slavery” of young girls trafficked under the guise of domestic work and subjected to abuse and exploitation.
The former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, emphasized that respect for human rights should not be viewed as an obstacle to security but as the foundation for lasting peace.
She said regional mechanisms such as the new Human Rights Bureau would bridge the gap between national institutions and local communities, improve access to justice and provide credible evidence for advocacy and institutional reforms.
On the Open Source Reporting Platform, Ezeilo described technology as a powerful tool for exposing human rights abuses through satellite imagery, geospatial data and crowdsourced evidence, but cautioned that investigations must remain ethical, evidence-based and free from misinformation capable of inflaming tensions.
She also called for stronger protection for human rights defenders, saying activists should not be treated as enemies of the state but as defenders of democracy.
According to her, they require institutional support, secure digital infrastructure, legal assistance and mental health services to continue their work safely.
Addressing representatives of security agencies present at the event, Ezeilo maintained that professionalism, transparency, due process and accountability were essential to earning public trust.
She reminded security institutions that their legitimacy comes not from weapons or uniforms but from the Constitution and the confidence of the people they serve.
The senior lawyer urged the Bureau to build a credible repository of verified human rights information, amplify victims’ voices, strengthen early warning systems and facilitate dialogue capable of preventing conflicts before they escalate.
Ezeilo further recommended closer collaboration among governments, civil society organisations and international development partners to strengthen accountability, improve governance and promote an open civic space where human rights can flourish.
On the ongoing debate over state policing, she expressed support for the creation of state police but insisted that the system must be backed by strong legal safeguards, independent oversight and adequate funding to prevent abuse by political office holders.
“Nigeria needs policing that is local to protect lives and property. But no State Police without strong laws, independent oversight, and real budgets. If Governors can weaponize it, we’ve replaced insecurity with intimidation,” she said.
She concluded by urging governments and security agencies to end arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions and other human rights abuses, while calling on human rights defenders to remain independent, professional and committed to credible, evidence-based documentation.
Ezeilo said the Southeast Human Rights Bureau should become a beacon of truth, justice and accountability, capable of protecting victims, strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring that peace in the region is sustained through respect for the rule of law.
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