Violations of Citizens Rights in Nigeria; an Impediment to Ultimate Achievement of State Interest

Human right is a broad term that encompasses several varieties of opinion that focuses on an individual and his existence in order to bestow on him a reasonable living. There is no consensus as to what constitute human right, however, what still remains extant is the consensus that the subject matter of human right is human beings because he is expected to protect and guide the moral value of his being as a human. The State has taken measures in enshrining some of these rights in their laws in order to protect its citizens. Nevertheless, the violation of human rights has always been one of the most challenging problems in the world and has been the cause of numerous sufferings by human beings. These violations in most situations are perpetuated by the activities of groups of persons who oppose the objective of the state to protect its citizens in order to achieve their goals. This is evident in the fact that man is a creature endowed with freewill to make choices in respect of what he desires. This paper assesses the various rights of the citizens Nigeria, examines the groups that today threaten the corporate existence of Nigeria and then lay emphasis on the challenging and destabilizing trend on National/ State interest that these ethnic militias and religious fundamentalists have portended. The rise of these groups shall thus be seen as clear and flagrant impediments or obstacles towards Nigeria’s ultimate realization of its national objectives or interest. We shall advocate the adoption of a new approach by the Nigerian Government in handling these threats to our existence collectively and as it affects our individual fundamental rights. A more pro-active method of averting and handling these threats will be called for and such is long overdue. The time to act is now.