Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria: Legal, Constitutional and Democratic Issues

Abstract Human rights are those fundamental and inalienable rights which are essential for life as a human being. These rights cannot be sold, mortgaged, donated, forfeited or transferred, and should therefore not be taken away by any other person or state. As a result, steps must be taken within each and every society to protect them. This is because, human rights affirm that all individuals, solely by virtue of being human, have moral rights which no society or state should deny. This idea has its classic source in seventeenth and eighteenth century theories of natural rights This article examines the present state of human rights in Nigeria. It first identifies certain international human rights instruments adopted and incorporated into Nigerian law. With the aid of constitutional provisions and judicial decisions, the article highlights certain fundamental and procedural human rights norms in the Nigerian Constitution to see the extent to which human rights are safeguarded in the country. The conclusion is that although the protection of human rights had suffered a tremendous setback during the military regimes, the advent of democracy has brought great relief and hope to all Nigerians.