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28 May 2026
The offices of several United Nations Special Rapporteurs, including the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, on the right to food and on adequate housing, have formally transmitted a communication to the Government of Nigeria following reports on alleged human rights abuses in the Middle Belt region. The communication was informed by a Joint Urgent Appeal submitted by eyeWitness to Atrocities (eyeWitness) an organisation founded by The International Bar Association and The International Committee On Nigeria (ICON). It represents an important step in ongoing international scrutiny and engagement with the violations occurring in the Middle Belt region.
The Special Rapporteurs have called on the Nigerian government to provide detailed information on steps taken to investigate, prosecute and ensure accountability for alleged human rights violations linked to violence in the Middle Belt region, including unlawful killings by non-state actors, destruction of homes and livelihoods, and the resulting displacement of communities. The UN also requested details on investigations carried out into the alleged failure of security forces’ to adequately protect civilians; measures taken to support affected communities, including internally displaced persons (IDPs); and efforts to address the root causes of the violence as well as the heightened impact of the violence.
Lawrence Zongo, an ICON documenter said: ‘We welcome the UN Special Rapporteurs’ communication to the Nigerian government, which was informed by evidence collected by ICON. This underscores the important work ICON is doing to methodically document violence to pursue justice for communities in Nigeria.’
The October 2025 Joint Urgent Appeal submitted by ICON and eyeWitness draws international attention to allegations of unlawful killings and other human rights concerns in Nigeria. Based on 3,276 items of footage captured by ICON with the eyeWitness App between January 2022 and March 2025, witness interviews, documenters’ notes, and open-source research, the Joint Urgent Appeal called on the Special Rapporteurs to seek updates from the Nigerian government on their efforts to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators, provide rehabilitation and redress to victims, and address the root causes of the violence.
eyeWitness to Atrocities urges the Government of Nigeria to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteurs’ offices, respond substantively to the communication, and take immediate steps to uphold its obligations under international human rights law. eyeWitness also calls on regional and international stakeholders to continue monitoring developments and supporting efforts toward justice.
