Boko Haram Insurgency and the Violation of Regional Human Rights Norms in Nigeria: An Analysis of the African Charter

Introduction

In the global human rights discussion, the execution of pledges has taken the role of standard-setting, underscoring the need for an updated protection system capable of addressing emerging concerns throughout the continent. Modern African Union (AU) institutions have been under increasing pressure to enhance and mainstream human rights protections since the Organization of African Unity (OAU) adopted the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) in 1981 [1]. Ongoing conflicts in countries like Burundi and the Central African Republic continue to generate new violations, straining existing protective mechanisms. The persistent breaches of fundamental rights enshrined in Africa's primary human rights treaties raise questions about the commitment of African states to uphold and safeguard these rights, especially when national systems are either incapable or unwilling to act [2].

The most recent of the three regional legal or quasi-judicial human rights frameworks is the African human rights system, which was created under the AU. Its commission and court have complimentary duties, just like the InterAmerican and original European systems. The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (AfCHPR), the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) evaluate how well states adhere to human rights standards, including how they handle specific complaints. Everybody has unique abilities and purposes. This regional framework is based on the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, sometimes called the Banjul Charter, which was ratified by most OAU member states and went into force on October 21, 1986.

In Nigeria, peace and security have been adversely affected by the Boko Haram conflict, which has led to previously unheard-of levels of bloodshed and instability. Because of the possibility of assaults, kidnappings, or abductions, many citizens are terrified to leave their houses or bring their kids to school. Since the Nigerian Civil War, the group has caused more violence than any other group [3]. Boko Haram's sophisticated approach, which disrupts daily life and endangers public safety, has grown to encompass individuals after first targeting security officials [4,5].

Boko Haram and its supporters, including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), persisted in their terrorist activities between 2020 and 2026, causing forced relocations, mass murders, sexual assaults, property devastation, and denial of access to basic services like education. Most victims of these crimes, which are blatant breaches of international human rights law as well as the African Charter, are civilians, especially women and children [6]. Given this, the study assesses the effectiveness of contemporary human rights frameworks and, by looking at this historical period, pinpoints any flaws in methods of protection and enforcement [7].

Statement of the Problem

Boko Haram has increased its deadly actions in Northern Nigeria in spite of counterterrorism efforts, particularly between 2020 and 2026. According to the African Charter, the group's actions—mass kidnappings, infrastructure damage, and forced relocations— amount to serious human rights crimes. Communities, local economies, education, and democratic government have all been harmed by these attacks [8]. The problem has been made worse by claims that Nigeria's security forces have engaged in extrajudicial executions, torture, and arbitrary detentions. The persistence of these violations despite existing legal frameworks highlights the discrepancy between policy and practice. This study, therefore, investigates the disappointment of the African human rights system during the Boko Haram insurgency from 2020 to 2026, aiming to identify weaknesses and propose strategies for improved protection [9,10].

Objective of the Study

• To investigate the nature and extent of human rights violations committed by Boko Haram groups in Nigeria.

• To analyze the specific ways in which Boko Haram’s activities have undermined the fundamental rights enshrined in the ACHPR.

• To assess the extent the ACHPR has effectively addressed human rights violations resulting from the Boko Haram conflict in Nigeria

Review of Related Literature

Conceptual Literature

Figure 1: Author’s Conceptual Model, 2026

Boko Haram Insurgency

Insurgency is a long-term, methodical conflict that is carried out to accomplish particular intermediate objectives that ultimately result in the overthrow of the current order [6]. Insurgency is the organised use of violence and subversion to seize, overthrow, or contest political authority in an area in the United States Counter-Insurgency Guide. The purpose of insurgency is to topple or undermine the government and gain total or partial authority over the people and resources of a region [7]. They accomplish this by using political mobilisation, propaganda, subversion, and force (including terrorism, guerrilla warfare, and coercion/intimidation). When non-ruling organisations inside a state are incapable of using conventional methods to accomplish their political objectives, they may resort to insurgency as a tactic [8]. Insurgent groups' primary goal is to undermine the current administration and increase their popularity.

The primary political driving force behind the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria is the terrorists' ambition to establish an Islamic State under Sharia law in lieu of the Nigerian State, especially in the Muslim-dominated Northern region. The Qur'an, the foundation of Sharia law, governs both private and public behavior [9]. In contrast to what the Muslim populace wants, Boko Haram believes that the problems of corruption, bad governance, and Western influence may be resolved via the establishment of a rigid Sharia-compliant Islamic State. The gang has used all kinds of guerrilla warfare and brutality against the government and populace since declaring emergency in an effort to overthrow Nigerian institutions that they believe to be corrupt and Western-influenced.

The group's hostility towards the government of Nigeria is unprecedented in the nation's insurgent history. Boko Haram has intimidated opponents and killed people by using bombs to launch assaults on targets in the West or the government. During raids on towns and villages, its militants have massacred citizens, attacked and kidnapped educators and students, conscripted men and boys against their will, abducted at least 2000 young ladies and girls, and compelled several of them to enter married, set fire to homes and schools. With many victims still missing, the kidnapping of more than 200 girls from Chibok Secondary School in Borno State on April 14, 2014, is still a striking illustration of the group's depravity. Between 20,000 and 35,000 killings have been attributed to Boko Haram since its founding in 2002, with the majority of those deaths taking place after 2009 [10].

                  Table 1: Summary of Major Boko Haram and ISWAP Attacks in Nigeria (2020–2026)

Human Right

The concept of human rights is extremely complicated since it lacks a precise definition. Several academics have attempted to define or conceptualize the word "human rights" in a number of ways [11]. Examining the main patterns in the many perspectives on human rights is enough. In general, human rights are intrinsic and fundamental to human nature and are vital to the manifestation of individuality and humanity, without which no one could exist as a person [12-14].

Donnelly (2007), they are unchangeable natural laws that cannot be acquired or taken away. As a result, human rights are international in the knowledge that everyone believes in principles. Human rights are those that represent the demands or assertions made by individuals or groups on behalf of society; some of them are legally protected and included in lex lata, while others are still aspirations that will eventually be realized [15,16]. Among these fundamental rights are the freedoms of thinking, speech, and life, in addition to the right to legal equality. These rights stand for the government’s entitlements to the individual or groups and/or the individual's obligations. Since these rights are granted "naturally," it is impossible to take them away because of a person's gender, race, creed, or ethnicity.

According to UNOHCHR (2019), human rights encompass all of an individual's rights regardless of their national or social origin, property, birth, race, color, sex, language, religion, political views, or any other status. Human rights legislation protects both persons and communities from acts that violate their basic liberties and diminish their selfrespect. Conventions, principles, established international legislation; along with other legal sources all express human rights. Human rights legislation forbids states from participating in specific activities and requires them to act in a certain manner. Everyone is treated equally and without prejudice when it comes to human rights. Respecting certain human rights while disregarding others is not enough. divided human rights into three more general categories, although only two of them apply in this context [17].

(i) Social and Classic Rights: although the state must provide some guarantees under social rights, classical rights entail a responsibility for the state to refrain from certain behaviors. The freedoms of association, expression, and assembly, a few examples of traditional rights that are covered by both civil and political rights include the right to a fair trial.

(ii) Civil and Political: Civil rights include the protections against physical violence, such as the rights to life, liberty, and personal security. These include protections from brutal treatment and torture, arbitrary detention and arrest, interference with one's property and private rights, and restrictions on one's freedom of movement, freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religion.

In general, political rights encompass the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly; participation in national governance; and voting and being elected. It is implied that there has been a breach if any of these rights are disregarded, ignored, or contradicted by the acts or inactions of stakeholders.

Any activity that violates or breaches a rule, a contract, a concept, or anything that deserves respect is considered a violation [18]. It is any behavior that disregards a significant principle. Any act that disregards the law is considered a violation, and violations typically result in fines or punishments; however, the severity of the transgressions or misdeeds perpetrated and the legal provisions determine the penalties or punishments.

However, according to, the act of disregarding the freedoms guaranteed by national, regional, or international legislation. Human rights violations are when someone violates the law or does anything that goes against what the law considers to be a respect for human rights [19]. It is the failure to uphold the legal obligations to protect human rights. Therefore, when this is involved, both action and inactivity may be regarded as breaches of human rights. A violation occurs when a state, its representatives, or non-state actors, including private individuals, violate, disregard, or deny fundamental human rights, such as civil, political, cultural, social, and economic rights, or when they breach any clause of widely accepted human rights treaties and agreements. Human rights are not unrestricted, though, because they must be exercised with respect and concern for the rights of others. Everybody will only be bound by the legal limitations imposed to guarantee that the rights and liberties of others are appropriately acknowledged and upheld, as well as to meet the legitimate requirements of public order, morality, and general welfare.

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)

The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights led to the creation of the ACHPR. The Commission formally started operating in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on November 2, 1987, a year after the African Charter went into force. The Commission presently reports to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, with its headquarters located in Banjul, Gambia. The organization is responsible for keeping an eye on the rights outlined in the African Charter [20]. Its responsibilities include visiting nations, passing resolutions and declarations, reviewing national reports on human rights conditions that each state must submit every other year, and making decisions about communications or complaints from member states, individuals, and non-governmental organizations. The African commission has established a system of "special measures" to carry out its mandate, including working groups that monitor and investigate specific issues pertaining to the commission's work and Special Rapporteurs to whom specific allegations of human rights violations in specific areas may be brought. In addition to being a great marketing tactic, this approach has given the commission a greater understanding of how well human rights are upheld throughout the continent. Its six special rapporteurs are now working on issues including human rights defenders, freedom of expression and information access, refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, prisons and sites of detention in Africa, and women's rights in Africa [20].

In addition to any other responsibilities that the Assembly of Heads of State and Government may designate, the African Charter expressly assigns the commission the following tasks: promoting human and peoples' rights; safeguarding those rights in accordance with the Charter's requirements; and providing interpretation of the African Charter upon request from a state party, AU institution, or African group recognized by the AU. Article 45(1)(c) mandates that the commission collaborate with other international and African organizations that support and defend human and peoples' rights. Collaboration with organizations like the Inter-American Commission, Inter-American Court on Human Rights, and other national and international human rights organizations has been sought in order to accomplish this. The commission's working connections with national human rights organizations and NGOs have improved, and more state representatives and other stakeholders now attend its sessions. According to the rules of procedure, these groups are allowed to attend commission meetings.

Human Rights Violations in Nigerian Society

One of the nations where reports of violations of human rights are common is Nigeria and occurs in practically every aspect of daily life. Some of Nigeria's often violated human rights are listed below.

Unlawful infringement of First-Generation Rights and other civil, political, and moral rights;

Akhaine and Chizea (2011) claim those threats, killings, the undemocratic intrusion of political candidates, and the significant financial support of the prebendal political milieu all amounted to abuses of Nigerians' political rights. Here are some specific examples of violations of civil, political, and moral rights:

• Abuse of Right to Life: Torture and extrajudicial executions by government security personnel are the main examples of this human rights violation.

• Abuse of Right to Freedom of Movement: Kidnappings and disappearances, which have been on the rise in Nigeria, are examples of human rights violations. Kidnappings in Abia State, especially those of women, children, and other civilians, have made the situation worse [21].

• Abuse of Right to Freedom of Religion: In defiance of Nigeria's secularity clause, cleric fanatics have repeatedly violated human rights [22,23]. iv. Violation of the Right to Free Assembly: Anti-administration protests and rallies are frequently suppressed by the Nigerian government. It is unfortunate to observe that the Nigerian government has consistently neglected to confront these violations of human rights and bring those responsible to justice.

Economic, social, and cultural rights (second generation rights) areunlawfully violated; The following are the rights of citizens that are violated by these types of human rights abuses:

• Abuse of the Right to Education: Unfortunately, corruption, bribery, and nepotism are all detrimental vices in Nigeria's educational system, even if education is the finest instrument for influencing national progress. However, the university council believed that some Nigerian states had less access to education and that not all Nigerians have equal access to admission to some state-owned universities. Nigerian people are in fact required to get free education in accordance with the Fundamental Goals and Directing Principles of State Policy; but, in reality, tuition is still required for students in some states and federal institutions where this has been applied.

• Violations of the Right to Standard of Living: It is unfortunate to observe that the level of corruption in public services is the reason for this violation. In general, corruption has permeated every aspect of Nigerian life. It is a violation of citizens' rights to have dishonest governmental servants.

Illicit Violation of Community Rights or Solidarity (Third Generation Rights);

• Abuse of Right to Clean and Healthy Environment: The right to a safe, clean, and healthy environment has been denied to some groups in Nigerian society. For example, environmental rights violations are contributing to the violence in the Niger-Delta area. also bemoaned the conditions of abuse, exploitation, neglect, injury, and hardship that vulnerable children and orphans in Nigeria had to endure [24]. ii. Jail and Prisoner Rights: The jail system in Nigeria is an absolute nightmare. After completing their sentences, those who leave it seldom undergo reform; instead, they become recalcitrant recidivists. The high number of inmates awaiting trial is one of the issues facing Nigeria's prison system. Due to a lack of jail infrastructure, this inevitably results in cell congestion [25]. The prisoners' human rights are being flagrantly violated by these conditions. Similarly, the lack of cars to transport inmates to court and the lack of health facilities hinder their ability to receive proper medical treatment. iii. Abuse of the Right to Self-Determination: The majority of agitators from various ethnic groups in Nigeria have been in the forefront of the fight for freedom or self-determination. The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB), the Niger Delta people, and others has made this right to self-determination their main cause.

Theoretical Literature

Although armed conflicts and human rights abuses in Africa can be analysed using a variety of theories, the Human Needs Theory (HNT), developed by John Burton in 1990, serves as the basis for theory of this investigation. Regarding its effects on human rights, the reaction of state and non-state actors, and the function of regional human rights bodies, HNT provides an engaging prism through which to view the bloody and ongoing conflict in Nigeria that is spearheaded by Boko Haram.

According to Burton's Needs Theory, people are motivated by a number of basic, non-negotiable wants, including autonomy, security, identity, acknowledgement, and involvement, all of which, if ignored, will unavoidably result in conflict. These human demands are existential in nature and cannot be exchanged or disregarded, in contrast to material interests that may be discussed or compromised. People or groups may turn to violence as a last option to affirm their humanity, restore their dignity, or regain their feeling of belonging when their needs are consistently ignored or neglected.

Human wants are Non-Negotiable and Universal: Burton makes the assumption that all people, regardless of their culture, nationality, or geography, have basic wants including identification, security, acknowledgement, autonomy, and involvement. These needs are necessary for human existence and dignity; they are not merely wants or preferences.

Extended Conflicts Are Caused by Unmet Human Needs: According to the hypothesis, when people or groups are denied access to these necessities, long-lasting and deeply ingrained conflicts (such as the Boko Haram insurgency) result. Affected groups may turn to violence or revolt when their demands are consistently ignored or violated, particularly by governmental actors or prevailing social structures.

Traditional Conflict Resolution Techniques Are Not Enough: According to HNT, conventional approaches to conflict resolution, including compromise, negotiation, or power-sharing, frequently fall short because they focus on surfacelevel concerns (such territory or resources) rather than the fundamental needs of people. Only by meeting these fundamental needs can there be true peace.

Human Behavior Is Needs-Driven, Not Rational-Interest-Driven: HNT makes the assumption that individuals are motivated more by their existential and psychological needs than by financial gain, in contrast to rational choice theories that see human behavior as based on cost-benefit analyses. As a result, violent acts frequently reflect intense psychological or identity-based resentment.

This theory is especially applicable to Nigeria, where socioeconomic, political, and historical injustices have exacerbated a sense of exclusion and marginalization among many populations, especially in the northeast, where Boko Haram first appeared. Extremist beliefs have thrived in Nigeria because to the government's ongoing inability to address systemic issues including poverty, bad governance, restricted educational opportunities, and religious marginalization.

Empirical Literature

                                                                Table 2: Empirical Literature Review

Gap in Literature

The majority of current publications ignore the legal aspects of these transgressions and the related responses of governmental actors in favor of a wide focus on insurgency and displacement. SWOT and PESTEL analyses are used to examine both internal and external elements affecting human rights enforcement in order to enhance this study. Empirical research documenting misuse trends, evaluating governmental responsibility, and assessing the efficacy of the ACHPR during this current era is lacking. This study fills these gaps by identifying specific rights violations, analyzing the Charter’s protective mechanisms, and critically appraising the regional system’s response. As a result, it gives African human rights study a current, fact-based legal analysis.

Methods And Materials

Research Design

This study employs a qualitative research approach grounded in documentary analysis. This approach was chosen because of the study's exploratory and analytical nature, which seeks to understand the dynamics of human rights violations within the context of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria from 2020 to 2026. Qualitative research enables a thorough examination of complex social and political concerns, such as patterns of abuse, the roles of state and nonstate actors, and institutional responses to violations resulting from conflict.

Sources of Data

Only secondary data sources, drawn from a wide range of trustworthy and respectable sources, are used in this study. Scholarly publications, policy papers, court decisions, reliable media coverage, and regional and global human rights reports (such those from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the ACHPR) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) are examples of these.

Method of Data Analysis

The secondary sources included in this study were carefully chosen and include human rights reports, policy papers, academic journal articles, and legal documents. The research goals and important clauses of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights will serve as the guidelines for the manual coding method that will be applied to these sources.Thematic coding will facilitate the categorisation of content into meaningful clusters that reflect recurring issues, institutional actions, and human rights violations.

Logical Data Framework (LDF)

                                                                     Table 3: The Logical Data Framework

Results and Discussion

Analysis of Question one and Hypothesis one

Nature of Human Rights Violations

• Massacres and Killings

Up to 110 people and peasant farmers were murdered and six injured during the Koshebe massacre, which occurred on November 28, 2020, in the hamlet of Koshebe, Nigeria, in Borno State. The victims were working in rice fields in Koshebe village, which is close to the metropolis of Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria (This Day, 2020). The Boko Haram insurgency was believed to be responsible for the incident [26]. About 15 women were also kidnapped [27]. Following that, there were reports of another massacre committed by fanatics in the Yobe State local government area of Tarmuwa, Nigeria, which claimed the lives of 130 people [28]. During the massacre, the militants posted posters threatening to carry out the similar actions against other communities that engage in "treachery" [29].

• Abductions and Forced Conversions

In 2024 alone, there were at least 580 kidnappings or abductions of citizens, mostly women and girls, in several states. Boko Haram and other armed organisations have lately bolstered their influence by forming alliances with armed bandits [30].

• Attacks on Civilians and Infrastructure

It was reported in June 2024 that a female suicide bomber Borno State. More people were killed in later strikes that targeted the burial and a nearby hospital [31].

Extent of Human Rights Violations

In northeastern Nigeria, Boko Haram has caused over 2 million people to be uprooted from their homes and over 35,000 people to be slaughtered. Millions of people are now in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the violence's destruction of villages, disruption of agriculture, and destruction of local economy (The World Hour, 2024). Thousands of refugees have fled to neighbouring nations as a result of the displacement problem, which has also spread beyond Nigeria's borders. Over 300,000 Nigerians are thought to have sought asylum in these nations, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) [32]. In 2023 alone, 4,998 Christians were killed in Nigeria, with Boko Haram being a significant perpetrator of these targeted attacks [33].

According to the content analysis, Boko Haram consistently violated human rights between 2020 and 2024, as evidenced by: Targeted Massacres: Regular mass murders of civilians, especially peasants and farmers. Systematic kidnappings of women, girls, and children that frequently result in forced marriages and conversions are known as abductions. Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure: In order to increase civilian deaths and create panic, weddings, funerals, hospitals, and schools are specifically targeted. Religious persecution is the deliberate targeting of Christian communities, which results in a high death toll and forced relocation.

According to the qualitative documentary analysis, there is a noteworthy and recurring trend in the kind and scope of Boko Haram's human rights abuses in Nigeria from 2020 to 2024. These breaches, which result in a significant death toll and relocation, include mass murders, kidnappings, assaults on civilian infrastructure, and religious persecution.

Analysis of Question two and Hypothesis two

• Right to Life (Article 4)

According to the Koshebe Massacre in 2020, Boko Haram has carried out several attacks that have resulted in a significant number of fatalities. For instance, the Koshebe massacre in November 2020 claimed the lives of at least 110 farmers in Borno State. Similarly, 130 civilians lost their lives in the September 2024 Tarmuwa catastrophe in Yobe State.

• Right to Security of Person (Article 6)

Numerous kidnappings have been carried out by the Boko Haram gang. As per Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (2025), more than 580 individuals, mostly women and girls, were abducted in several nations in 2024 alone. The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (2024) reports that forced marriages and other types of exploitation are frequently the result of these kidnappings.

• Prohibition of Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (Article 5)

Survivors report experiencing severe violations including forced marriages and sexual assault. Additional difficulties faced by girls who escaped Boko Haram captivity were inadequate aid and illegal military imprisonment [34].

• Right to Education (Article 17)

According to Amnesty International (2024), attacks against schools, instructors, and students including the kidnapping of these individuals have been conducted in an attempt to prevent people especially children from receiving what Boko Haram considers to be a "Western" education. Attacks on educational facilities are a result of Boko Haram's ideology, which rejects Western education. Interestingly, more than 40 women and girls were kidnapped in Mafa, Borno State, in 2024. Access to school is seriously hampered by such acts, especially for girls.

• Right to Freedom of Expression and Assembly (Articles 9, 10, and 11)

Nigeria was deemed to have violated these rights during the #EndSARS demonstrations in 2020 by the ECOWAS Court, notwithstanding the fact that it was mostly attributable to state actors. Although not specifically related to Boko Haram, residents' capacity to exercise their rights is impacted by the larger environment of instability [35]. In additional discoveries After Lawan Andimi was killed by Boko Haram in February 2020, the Christian Association of Nigeria planned prayer marches around the country. The demonstrations brought attention to the group's influence on the right to gather and religious freedom [36]. The qualitative documentary analysis supports the hypothesis that Boko Haram's activities between 2020 and 2026 have significantly undermined fundamental rights protected under the ACHPR. The group's actions have led to violations of the rights to life, security, freedom from torture, education, and, indirectly, freedom of expression and assembly.

Analysis of Question three and Hypothesis three

• Condemnation of Human Rights Abuses

The ACHPR has voiced serious concerns about human rights violations in Nigeria, especially in light of large-scale demonstrations and security measures. The Commission emphasized that such activities may infringe the right to life provided by Article 4 of the ACHPR and condemned the deaths of at least 13 individuals during protests in August 2024. The Commission urged Nigerian authorities to ensure that law enforcement personnel respect the right to peaceful protest and adhere to the legislation [37].

• Advocacy for Victims of Abductions

The ACHPR's Country Rapporteur on Human Rights in Nigeria condemned in March 2024 the mass kidnapping of over 280 students and instructors in Kuriga, Kaduna State, and the kidnapping of 15 students from Sokoto. The Commission invited the Nigerian government to mobilize all the necessary resources for the safe and timely release of the abducted victims and urged the kidnappers to ensure the safety and security of their captives. The Commission emphasized the importance of conducting unbiased inquiries into these incidents in order to ensure accountability [37].

• Monitoring of Military Operations

The ACHPR has been monitoring military activities in Nigeria with an emphasis on the use of force and its impact on civilians. In December 2023, the Commission issued a statement about a drone assault by the Nigerian army that resulted in the deaths of over 80 people. The Commission emphasized the need for the utmost caution and care in such operations in order to comply with Article 4 of the African Charter and urged Nigeria to take action to prevent such regrettable events and ensure accountability when they do occur [37,38].

• Engagement with National Human Rights Institutions

Regarding claims of human rights breaches, the ACHPR has worked with Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). After Reuters covered the event in 2024, the NHRC started looking into claims of infanticide and forced abortions in the Northeast Boko Haram insurgency. The ACHPR is committed to assisting domestic systems for human rights protection and accountability, as seen by its cooperation with national organizations such as the NHRC [38-40].

 Table 4: SWOT Analysis of the African Human Rights System in Addressing Boko Haram-Related Human Rights Violations in Nigeria

Table 5: PESTEL Assessment of Boko Haram Insurgency and the Violation of Regional Human Rights Norms in Nigeria (2020–2026)

                                                  Table 6: Implications of Findings to Relevant Stakeholders

Conclusion and Recommendations

Between 2020 and 2026, the Boko Haram insurgency had a severe and catastrophic effect on Nigeria's human rights situation [42-45]. According to this analysis, the group's activities directly violate a number of the ACHPR clauses. In conclusion, a robust, coordinated response from local, national, and continental actors is necessary to halt violations of human rights and strengthen the African human rights system against violent extremism [46-48]. The following recommendations are put forth:

• Improve Domestic Human Rights Law Implementation: Nigeria's domestic legal system and law enforcement must more fully integrate the requirements of the African Charter [49]. Laws and court decisions must demonstrate adherence to these international norms. Strengthen the ACHPR's Role: The African Union should provide the ACHPR additional funding and enforcement power so that it can more effectively look into and monitor violations of human rights by state and non¬state actors, including Boko Haram [50-52].

• Strengthen Victim Support Systems: Nigeria and its regional partners should give Boko Haram victims—especially women, children, and internally displaced people—more socioeconomic, legal, and psychological support [53].

• Invest in Counter-Terrorism Accountability: When carrying out security operations against Boko Haram, human rights standards must be closely followed. Investigating government infractions and rebel violence requires independent examination [54-56].

• Strengthen Community Resilience and Early Warning Systems: While promoting inclusion and communication, local peace building efforts and grassroots intelligence networks should be strengthened in order to detect and halt extremist activities [57,58].

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