Nigeria has the highest number of missing persons in the whole of African countries, with about 22, 000 reported cases of missing persons in the last three years.
The outgoing Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Dr Benson Olugbuo disclosed this in Abuja while speaking at a public lecture organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to commemorate the 2021 International Day of the Disappeared.
Olugbuo, who lamented that the NHRC has a plethora of cases of missing persons that exceed reports from other African countries, further advocated for a review of laws relating to missing persons.
The CLEEN foundation’s Executive Director called on President Muhammadu Buhari led administration to ensure the protection of fundamental rights of the people, even as he expressed worry over the rising spate of abductions and kidnappings in the country.
In her speech, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen said, it is heartbroken and condemnable to know that Nigeria has the highest number of missing persons in the whole of Africa and called on well-meaning Nigerians to help the police in the discovery of the missing persons.
The Minister called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), who was represented at the occasion by Commissioner of Police, Josephine Nna, to step up efforts in finding the missing persons and reconcile them with their loved ones.
She prayed for God’s intervention in the security challenges bedeviling the country and commended the NHRC for the inauguration of a pilot project in Borno state to maintain a database of missing persons in the state.
The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, while inaugurating the Pilot project in Borno state said, his commission, established for the promotion and protection of human rights, is at the forefront of promoting the rights of families of missing persons.
He said the commission, in 2016, inaugurated a national technical committee for the establishment and management of database of missing persons in Nigeria because of the absence of a formal and standardized national structure to address the humanitarian consequences of missing persons in the country.
According to him, “There is the need to manage the expectation of family member who, in their frustration and despair, may expect that all their needs will be met once they register their loved ones”.
The NHRC boss said the pilot project in Borno will create awareness on missing persons in Nigeria and the plights of their families, ensure that authorities acknowledge the missing and the rights of their families and to clarifying the fate and whereabouts of the missing person.
He said a review on whether to continue implementing the pilot project or expand it to other states will be decided after a period of three months after the launch of the pilot project in Borno state.
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