The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has initiated plan for the creation of a database of Nigerians displaced, dead and missing from the activities of insurgent groups in the country.
The initiative, which involved other relevant agencies of the Federal Government, but co-ordinated by the NHRC, is intended to enable government’s on-ongoing efforts at addressing the challenges created by the activities of the insurgents.
NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Prof Bem Angwe said this in Abuja Thursday, while addressing a “roundtable for the establishment of database of missing persons in Nigeria.”
He said about 1.8 million Nigerians have so far been documented as missing, while many more are yet to be accounted for since insurgent activities commenced in the country
Angwe blamed the absence of accurate records of Nigerians for the difficulty being experienced in identifying Nigerian victims of insurgency and differentiating them from citizens of other neighbouring countries.
“We were talking about the missing 200 and something school girls without knowing that thousands of others were kidnapped and were being held by the Boko Haram insurgents until the military recently freed many.
“It was not until the military, in their efforts to repress the activities of the insurgents that Nigerians got to know that thousands of Nigerians, particularly, women and children were in the hands of these insurgents.
“Even today, as we speak, we still have several Nigerians that we cannot account for.
“Our inability to account for Nigerians, who are either in the hands of the insurgents or who have died in their search for refuge, or who may have been killed as a result of the activities of the insurgents is a problem.
“How do we begin to talk about displaced people when we do not have data, when we do not have statistics and we do not have records?
“As a country, it is very important that we demonstrate the value we place on the lives of Nigerians. It is unfortunate that in the country today, we don’t have record of birth and we don’t also have an exact record of death.
“It therefore becomes difficult to give account. And when we are confronted with a situation such as the insurgency activities being witnessed now in some parts of the country,” Angwe said.
The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) commended the initiative by the NHRC for the establishment of a robust and credible database for missing persons affected by the activities of insurgency and other criminal acts.
Represented by a Special Assistant,Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Osinbajo assured the commission of Fed Govt’s support.