Seventeen months after stakeholders across Southeast Nigeria resolved to establish a regional mechanism for addressing human rights abuses and strengthening accountability, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has officially launched the Southeast Human Rights Bureau, fulfilling one of the most significant resolutions of the Southeast Stakeholders Summit on Peace and Security and Public Hearing on Human Rights Violations held at Hotel Sunshine, Enugu, on February 21–22, 2025.
The Bureau was conceived during the landmark summit, which brought together senior government officials, security agencies, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, academics and development partners to deliberate on the worsening insecurity, shrinking civic space and persistent allegations of human rights violations across the Southeast. At the end of the summit, participants unanimously recommended the establishment of a permanent regional Human Rights Bureau to serve as a coordinated platform for documenting violations, supporting victims, promoting accountability and strengthening collaboration between citizens and state institutions.
The communiqué of the 2025 summit, developed by Isu Media Ltd, publishers of Akweya TV, captured the collective recommendations of participants, with the establishment of the Southeast Human Rights Bureau emerging as one of its flagship resolutions.
Thursday’s launch therefore represents not the beginning of a new initiative, but the implementation of a carefully developed regional roadmap aimed at promoting justice, accountability, peace and respect for human dignity in Southeast Nigeria.
The two-day launch ceremony attracted leading human rights advocates, legal practitioners, security agencies and development partners, including the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Also in attendance were Chairman of the opening ceremony, Very Rev. Monsignor Professor Obiora Ike; Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, SAN; Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought; representatives of the Ford Foundation, PRAWA, and other technical and development partners.
Organised by RULAAC under the leadership of its Executive Director, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, the event also featured the unveiling of the Bureau’s Open Source Reporting Platform and the commencement of specialised training for human rights defenders drawn from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.
Delivering his welcome address, Nwanguma described the launch as the fulfilment of “a collective aspiration born out of dialogue, strengthened by partnership, inspired by courage and sustained by our common commitment to justice, accountability, peace and respect for human dignity.”
He recalled that the Bureau is a direct offshoot of the 2025 Southeast Stakeholders Summit, where participants agreed that the region required a permanent, collaborative institution capable of monitoring, documenting and responding to human rights violations while strengthening civic engagement, facilitating access to justice, promoting accountability and supporting early warning and early response mechanisms.
Today, we fulfil that resolution. The Southeast Human Rights Bureau is more than an institution. It is a declaration that human rights matter; that every victim deserves justice; that every public institution should be accountable; and that lasting peace can only flourish where fairness, dignity and the rule of law prevail
Nwanguma stressed that the Bureau was deliberately designed to complement—not duplicate—the work of existing institutions. According to him, it will generate credible documentation of violations, coordinate advocacy, facilitate referrals, support strategic litigation, encourage constructive dialogue and build partnerships that strengthen justice and accountability across the Southeast.
He disclosed that RULAAC is already leading consultations with lawyers, human rights defenders and partner organisations on a proposed class action on behalf of victims of alleged abuses linked to the notorious Tiger Base detention facility, saying the initiative seeks justice for survivors while driving institutional reforms to end impunity.
A major highlight of the event was the unveiling of the Open Source Reporting Platform, an innovative digital platform developed by Dr. Gabriel Akinremi. The platform provides a secure system for reporting human rights violations, preserving digital evidence, verifying information, identifying patterns of abuse, facilitating collaboration among partner organisations and supporting evidence-based advocacy and timely intervention.
The launch also marked the commencement of intensive training for human rights defenders from the five Southeast states. According to RULAAC, the programme is designed to build a network of trained monitors equipped to document abuses, support victims and contribute to early warning and rapid response efforts in their communities.
Nwanguma expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Bar Association, particularly its President, Mazi Afam Josiah Osigwe, SAN; the NBA Human Rights Institute; Human Rights Committees of NBA branches across the Southeast; the National Human Rights Commission; PRAWA; the Enugu State Government; Amnesty International; the Ford Foundation; Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, SAN; Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu; Very Rev. Monsignor Professor Obiora Ike; Dr. Sam Amadi; security agencies and members of the media for their support in advancing human rights and the rule of law.
He reaffirmed RULAAC’s commitment to ensuring that the Southeast Human Rights Bureau remains independent, credible, professional and accountable.
According to him, the Bureau embodies a renewed regional commitment to ensuring that no victim suffers in silence, no abuse goes undocumented, no institution is beyond accountability, and that the pursuit of security is always anchored on justice, legality and respect for human dignity.
