London, UK:The Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) has announced the results of the inaugural HART Prize for Human Rights 2026 Journalism category, established to recognise frontline journalists in Nigeria reporting on human rights crises ignored by mainstream media.
First Place: Mike Odeh James “Nigeria’s Hidden Gulag: Inside the Rijana Camps” (TruthNigeria)
Second Place: Mary Kiara “Father’s Agony as Nigeria Denies Airstrike Killed Civilians”
Special Commendation: Lawrence Zongo for conflict reporting on identity narratives and Fulani Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt
The winning investigation documents alleged mass kidnapping networks operating out of Rijana Forest in Kaduna State, with survivor testimonies detailing prolonged captivity, starvation, ransom demands, and widespread community trauma. HART notes that names of survivors in the published version have been changed to protect their anonymity.
“Mike’s report places significant new information into the public domain. That this many camps exist as far south as Southern Kaduna in 2026 shifts our understanding of Nigeria’s security picture.”
Caroline Duffield, former BBC Lagos Correspondent
“The testimonies documented in this report underline the urgent need for protection of civilians and accountability for grave abuses. Where entire communities live under the shadow of abduction and violence, silence is not an option.”
Lord Alton of Liverpool
Links:
🔗 Read the full announcement: https://www.hart-uk.org/investigation-into-nigerias-hidden-gulag-wins-the-hart-prize-for-human-rights-2026/
🔗 Press Release (PDF): https://www.hart-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Press-Release_HART-Prize-Journalism_10-June-2026.pdf
🔗 Winning Article (PDF): https://www.hart-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/HART-Prize-Journalism-Winner_June-2026.pdf
HART is a UK Registered Charity (No. 1107341). For media enquiries: office@hart-uk.org
