According to Dr. Betta Edu, minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, 23,000 individuals have gone missing in less than ten years as a result of the insurgency in various regions of the nation.
Edu made this statement in Abuja during a stakeholder engagement to commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared with the topic “Where are you now?”
The statistic, according to her, constituted half of all the missing people in Africa.
Edu claimed that the insurgency in some regions of the nation was the cause of the missing persons report issued by the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“However, it is likely that this is just the tip of the iceberg as a more efficient mechanism is needed to improve the reporting and forensically trace cases of missing persons,” She said.
The minister said the issue of missing people had become one of the most critical and long-lasting humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts, and as such called for sober reflections.
Edu said that the present administration was committed to curbing the issue, hence the need to facilitate and strengthen the legal frameworks that would substantially address the incidences of disappearance.
Mr Yann Bonzon, Head of Delegation, ICRC, said that more than 23,000 people, registered by the Family Links Network in Nigeria, never returned home, and remained missing until date.
UPDATE: Verification Of Social Registrar To Commence Soon – Betta Edu
Bonzon said that the number did not convey the true extent of the issue.
“The actual number of missing persons is likely to be much higher, with Nigeria having more missing people than any other country on the continent.
“Until a national mechanism is created, immediate steps must be taken by the Nigerian government to prevent disappearances, to prevent the disruption of family links and maintaining links between separated family members.
“It will also help to address proper management of the dead,” he said.
Bonzon said that ICRC would continue to work closely with the government and relevant stakeholders to prevent disappearances to encourage and promote the adoption of international best practices.
He said that the ICRC would also support the Nigerian authorities to build sustainable capacities and resources to establish a national mechanism for the missing and their families.
“Let us collectively remind ourselves that while people might be gone, they will never be forgotten, and their families will never stop searching for them,” he added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group walked from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the National Human Rights Commission, to create awareness.
Follow su on facebook
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.