With the pangs of the current economic hardship biting very deep among families, man fathers in Gombe State have started abandoning their families.
This was contained in a report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The Commission stated that it has recorded 339 alleged human rights violation cases in Gombe State in 2024.
This was disclosed by the spokesman of the Commission, Ali Alola-Alfinti, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Friday.
Alola-Alfinti noted that majority of the cases recorded were on parental neglect where fathers abandon their children and wives. With majority of the men citing economic hardship and poverty as reasons for their actions.
The Commission noted that the cases were on the increase due to sustained enlightenment campaigns on human rights violations in the State.
According to him, the Commission engages Civil Society Organizations, media, religious and community leaders to educate the people and encourage them to speak out against the menace.
“We are now getting more victims coming to report. This is good for the campaign against rights violations.
“Silence remains a major challenge in the fight against rights violations. As protection of rights will not be possible if cases are not reported.
“The Commission recorded 339 cases. And we believe it is as a result of the support from other relevant stakeholders.
“The highest in terms of cases is parental neglect with about 50 percent of the complaints, including family abandonment without food, clothing and shelter. Unlike before when we had fundamental human rights, especially right to life, dignity, inhuman or degrading treatments,” he said.
Alola-Alfinti noted that the Commission had scaled up outreach to address issues of parental neglect. And to sensitize husbands to the need to fend for their families.
“Denying them of their rights is a punishable offence under the law,” he said.
He added that rights protection was critical to conflict prevention and peaceful society.
“When we respect each other’s rights, we will have a peaceful community. But when you infringe on another’s right, there will be retaliation and a chaotic society,” Alola-Alfinti said.
source: Vanguard
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