Gombe: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Gombe State, on Thursday, said it recorded 96 complaints on fathers who abandoned their children in the state in 2025.
The commission’s spokesman, Mr Ali Alola-Alfinti, said this in Gombe.
Alola-Alfinti said that about 285 complaints were reported to the commission in 2025, and paternal abandonment was the most reported case.
He listed other rights violations to include 59 cases of inhumane and degrading treatment, 36 cases on the right to property, and 16 cases of denial of access to justice.
“Others are 14 cases on alleged threat to life, 6 cases on child custody, among others,” he said.
According to him, of the 285 reported cases, 256 were treated and concluded in collaboration with relevant government agencies, in line with their mandates.
He said the remaining cases had been treated in 2026.
Alola-Alfinti urged parents to be involved in their children’s care and upbringing, stating that failing to do so violated their children’s rights.
He stated that the cases of fathers abandoning their children had dropped in the state since the commission started engaging critical stakeholders in different communities.
“It is mandatory for fathers to take up their responsibility with regard to their children by catering to their overall well-being and welfare.
“Leaving children to themselves or their mothers alone could hamper access to education, health, and other rights of the children.
“We are working hard to protect the rights of these children in line with the mandate of our commission,” he said.
Alola-Alfinti said fathers abandoning their children could result in serious psychological issues, often leading to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems like delinquency or substance abuse.
He appealed to parents to work toward protecting their children and ensuring that they were well cared for educationally, health-wise, and so on.
In 2023, 106 cases of fathers abandoning their children were recorded, while in 2024, 127 cases were reported.