Amnesty urges FG: Address rising cases of missing people

A human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has urged the Federal Government to tackle the rising number of incidents of forced disappearances of Nigerians.

Amnesty International disclosed this at an event to honour the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearance on Wednesday in Abuja.

Speaking against the backdrop of the growing conflicts in Nigeria, the organisation’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, attributed rising enforced disappearances to conflicts in the North-Central, South-East, and nearly all other regions of the country.

Sanusi said peace in Nigeria depended on finding those who had gone missing and reuniting them with their families.

He also urged the government to set up a database for missing people in ensuring accountability and justice.

Sanusi said, “The situation is not good as far as enforced disappearance is concerned; we have been witnessing an increasing number of conflicts across Nigeria, in the North-Central, South-East and almost all parts of Nigeria and these conflicts are increasing the volume of enforced disappearance.

“In Borno State alone, we have partner organisations that have recorded 23,000 people, and some of them as far back as nine years. So, that is a very big problem and if we want to establish peace and end this conflict, we have to start with making sure that all these issues are addressed and resolved, so that we will be able to move forward. We cannot have peace without making sure that all these people who have been missing are found and reunited with their families.” Punch