NHRC: 22,000 Nigerians Still Missing…Families Narrate Ordeal

…. Air Commodore Kicks Against Release Of Criminal Elements

In commemoration of the International Day of the Disappeared on Monday, about 4 Jos and Kaduna residents explained how one form of insecurity and crisis led to the disappearance of some of their family members.

The International Committee of the Red Cross was quoted as stating that “nearly 22,000 Nigerians have been reported missing” at a public lecture organized to mark the day in Abuja.

It was a sober moment as families of some of the disappeared persons shared their experiences.

The public lecture themed “Commemorating Their Lives: Taking Stock and Charting New Directions”, held at the National Human Rights Commission’s head office in Abuja.

Dignitaries and relevant stakeholders including security agents were present at the event.

Job Gashow, a Plateau State resident, narrated how herdsmen invaded his village in 2013 and since then, his son who went to school had not returned home.

“It happened on April 2013, when my son was returning from school. That same day, herdsmen came to attack my village in Plateau, since then I have not seen my son,” he said.

On his part, Reverend Musa Dauda explained that his parents were abducted in 2012 and efforts to find them had proved abortive.

He urged the audience to pray for the restoration of peace in Jos.

“In 2012, both of my parents were missing. My parents were retired pastors, they went for a meeting in which they were abducted. I went to the police to report the issue, up till now, they have not returned.

“But please pray for the peace of Plateau state. We believe that the security agencies has the power to contain the crisis in the country,” he said.

With tears in his eyes, Jonathan Peter (Kaduna), disclosed that his sister’s children were among the Bethel Baptist Students reportedly abducted.

“I am standing here with a lot of questions running in my mind.

“After I lost my elder brother in 2018; in June this year, my sister’s three children (in Bethel Baptist) were missing…. her first son is 17 years, the others are 13 years and 9 years.

“When you go to report to the security agencies, they sometimes increase in our pain,” he said.

Sharing his own side of the story, Abubakar Ango of Kaduna state, narrated (in Hausa language) that his father who was a community leader was abducted while returning from settling a dispute.

“My father is in Kaduna, from Zango Kataf… he was abducted on the 21st of March ,2021, on Sunday.

“My father is a title holder in the place, it happens that there was a communal clash between the people and the some Fulanis…

“So, they called on him to come and judge…after making a peace…he returned. On his way back, he was abducted, up till today, we can’t find him,” he said.

He added that the community were his father lived was razed afterwards.

“After that incident, an unfortunate incident happened, the whole community was put on fire, now we are living as displaced persons,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, the NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu Esq, said it was delightful to use today (Monday) to honor those who would otherwise be forgotten while acknowledging the pains and frustration of families and friends who can’t tell the whereabouts of their loved(missing) ones.

He said it was based on the development that the NHRC was inaugurating a pilot project in Borno state, with a view to advocating for the rescue of missing persons in the country.

According to Ojukwu, the project will “raise awareness on the missing in Nigeria and the plight of their families, ensure that authorities acknowledge the missing and the rights of their families; and advocate to clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons.”

Ojukwu promised to extend the project to other parts of the country.

In his remark, the Executive Director of CLEEN foundation, Benson Olugbuo, appreciated the NHRC for developing a data base for missing persons.

“Since October 2020, the spate of disappearance by security agents have increased. We have cases of missing persons that remains unresolved. Kidnapping for ransom has become a daily occurrence in Nigeria,” said Olugbuo.

Other dignitaries at the event were the Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Talen and Representatives of the Chief of Defense Staff, Inspector General of Police, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

For the representative of the Chief of Defense Staff, Lucky Irabor , Retd Commodore Oluwole Akinsonya, he said Nigerians should also not forget that members of the armed forces also get missing in their line of duty.

He attributed the disappearance of persons to security challenges.

But he urged anyone with information on how to stop the menace to approach the authorities with such.

“One cannot begin to imagine the trauma that the disappeared and missing are going through due to activities of insurgents, kidnappers…Some of our personnels do get missing too.

“It is essential to take time to access how far we have gone to address the issue and proffer pragmatic solutions,” he said.

He also said that the armed forces have ensured that detainees are confined in line with the law and have allowed parties related to them to see them.

But while giving the public lecture on the theme, the President, Alumni Association of the National Defence College, Air Commodore Darlington Abdulahi (rtd), frowned against the release of criminals into the society without adequate rehabilitation.

He said that insecurity challenges have reportedly displaced about 2 million Nigerians and have forced the closure of over 600 schools in the country.

He was of the view that communal clashes particularly between pastoralists and residents have contributed to heightened insecurity in parts of the North.

According to him, the causes of disappearance of persons include, “Road accidents resulting in mass burials of victims without efforts to identify the victims and informing their respective families, Cultism, Ritual Killings, Kidnappings and One-Chance Syndrome, Abduction of travelers and Political rivalries…”

He recommended that measures be put in place to stop the disappearance of persons.

He urged the public and government to, “Promptly report missing persons or abduction to Police or any appropriate agencies, develop and publicize the database of missing persons and those rescued, reward gallantry by security personnel.

“Stop the practice of releasing criminal elements into the society without adequately demobilizing/ de-radicalizing them,” he said.