Human Rights
Specific Objectives:
1. Explain the meaning of human rights.
2. Enumerate the characteristics of human rights.
3. Identify the categories of human rights.
4. Mention the limitations to human rights.
5. Suggest ways safeguarding fundamental human rights.
6. Describe human rights abuse and identify instances of it.
Meaning of human rights
Human rights could be defined as the certain privileges that every citizen enjoys in a
country irrespective of gender, age, tribe, religious belief etc.
They are natural, fundamental and basic entitlements which every human being enjoys
for being a citizen of his/her country regardless who he/she is.
Human rights are universal. This means they are everywhere. Human rights became
universal on the 10 December, 1948 during the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
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by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris, France. Since then the countries of the world
especially the UN member-states have entrenched them in their constitutions.
In Nigeria, the 1999 constitution (chapter iv, sections 33-44) specifies clearly the rights of
citizens to include:
i. Right to life.
ii. Right to education.
iii. Right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
iv. Right to fair hearing.
v. Right to freedom of movement.
vi. Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
vii. Right to vote and be voted for.
viii. Right to freedom of expression and the press.
ix. Right to private and family life.
x. Right to employment etc.
Characteristics of human rights
1. They are basic and fundamental. Every human being needs rights. This means every
human being needs them in order to live a fulfilled life.
2. Human rights are universal. This means they are acceptable everywhere in the world.
3. Human rights are natural. This means they do not change from person to person, or
country to country.
4. They are inalienable and indivisible. This means human rights cannot be divided. They
cannot be taken away.
5. They are recognized: Human rights are recognized by every country of the world. This is
because they are entrenched in their various constitutions and guaranteed by all.
Categories of human rights
Human rights are broadly categorized into three. These are:
i. Political rights: These are liberties citizens stand to enjoy for involvement/participation
in the political activities of their country. E.g. right to vote and be voted for etc.
ii. Economic rights: These are freedoms a citizen enjoys to ownership and control of
resources. E.g. right to own property, right to do business and make profit, right to
employment etc.
iii. Social rights: E.g. right to freedom of assembly, right to freedom of thought, conscience
and relation, right to seek redress in court of law, right to freedom from torture, right to
life, right to education etc.
Limitations to human rights
1. Period (state) of emergency: A declaration of curfew in times of emergency may limit
the right of citizens especially, freedom of movement.
2. Detention on medical grounds: This situation may occur in order to prevent the spread
of infectious diseases if a citizen is suffering from such, e.g. quarantine of Ebola patients
in 2014, Covid-19 patients etc.
3. Condemnation to death: A citizen may be denied right to life as a result of murder,
armed robbery etc.
4. Detention by law: A citizen may be denied such a right if he/she is detained by law.
5. Slander and libel: These limit the right of a citizen to expression.
6. Ban on political activities in a country: E.g. during military administrations.
7. Insanity: The mentally retarded/derailed are not treated as equals to other citizens.
They will be deprived of some of their rights in the interest of other citizens.
Ways of safeguarding human rights
1. Enthronement of a democratic government. The rights of the people are best
guaranteed and safe in a democratic government than in a totalitarian one.
2. Full entrenchment and declaration of fundamental rights in the constitution: This can
guarantee and safeguard the rights of citizens.
3. Establishment of independent/impartial judiciary: This will be safe place citizens can run
to for protection in an event of denial/abuse of rights.
4. Removal of ethnic, religious, and gender discrimination: Citizens’ rights can best be
safeguarded in an atmosphere devoid of discrimination on ethnic, religious and gender
lines.
5. Establishment of good economic system. Good economic system brings about
improvement in the standard of living of the people which leads to increased awareness
of citizens.
6. Free press. The press will safeguard the rights of citizens without fear or favor.
7. Ensuring peaceful environment. This will lead to protection of lives and property of
citizens.
Human Rights Abuse
Human rights abuse is the denial, violation or deprivation of an individual’s human rights
either by another individual, group or government.
It refers to the wrong restriction of a person’s human rights by an individual or
government.
It is an unfair treatment of a person by another or government.
It also the unlawful/illegal/unnecessary denial of one’s human rights. Whenever a
citizen is unduly prevented from exercising his rights, it is an abuse of human rights.
Some instances of human rights abuse include;
i. Arresting and detaining a person for a longtime without establishing any case against
him and without trial.
ii. Torturing and maltreating an individual by law enforcement agencies like the police,
army etc.
iii. Preventing and influencing an individual who is eligible to vote, so that they do not take
part in the electoral process (disenfranchisement).
iv. Preventing an individual from joining any religion of his choice or forced to join any
religion he does not want.
v. Denying a person freedom to fair hearing and access to justice.
vi. Unlawful or forceful seizure of one’s property by government or other citizens in
authority.
vii. Any unfair, cruel and violent treatment of children and women.
viii. Harassing and intimidating a person for his expression of opinion by others or
government.
