The summit, held in Enugu, Nigeria, between February 21 and 22, brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, security agencies, civil society organisations, and victims’ families, to discuss the escalating security challenges and human rights violations in the Southeast region.
In a bid to address the rising cases of missing persons in the country, stakeholders at the Southeast Stakeholders Summit on Peace and Security and Public Hearing on human rights violations have recommended the establishment of a Bureau of Missing Persons in all 36 states of Nigeria.
The summit, held in Enugu, Nigeria, between February 21 and 22, brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, security agencies, civil society organisations, and victims’ families, to discuss the escalating security challenges and human rights violations in the Southeast region.
The recommendation to establish a Bureau of Missing Persons in all states was one of the key outcomes of the summit, which contained in a communique released on Monday, and jointly signed by Okechukwu Nwanguma (RULAAC) for Civil Society Organisations and Sabastine Anyia Esq., 1st Vice President and Chairman of the Human Rights Institute of the Nigerian Bar Association for NBA.
The bureau is expected to serve as a central database for reporting and tracking missing persons cases, providing support to families of missing persons, and facilitating investigations and rescue efforts.
According to the stakeholders, the establishment of the bureau has become necessary due to the increasing cases of missing persons in Nigeria, particularly in the Southeast region.
The stakeholders noted that the current system of reporting and tracking missing persons is inadequate, leading to a lack of accountability and justice for victims and their families.
Other recommendations made by the stakeholders include the establishment of a human rights bureau, strengthening arms control measures, enhancing border security and intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and implementing robust community policing strategies.
The summit emphasised the need for a collaborative approach to addressing the security challenges and human rights violations in Nigeria, and called on the government to take immediate action to establish the Bureau of Missing Persons and implement the other recommendations.
Other recommendations are: “Strengthen arms control measures to curb the illegal flow of weapons into the Southeast, ensuring stricter enforcement and monitoring of supply routes.
“Enhance border security and intelligence-sharing mechanisms to prevent the proliferation of arms and restrict access by criminal elements.
“Implement robust community policing strategies to improve trust between security agencies and local populations while ensuring respect for human rights.
“Civic engagement and awareness campaigns: the public should be actively involved in discussions on security and human rights through sustained advocacy efforts.
“Strengthening the Southeast Governor’s Forum: this platform will serve as a mechanism for monitoring security activities in the region, pulling resources and strengthening the surveillance system in the region.
“Regulation of state-backed security outfits: government-backed security groups such as Agunechemba, as well as special or tactical units of the police such as Rapid Response Squad in Anambra, Tiger Base in Imo State, and Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Anambra, etc. must operate within the confines of human rights and legal frameworks;
“There is a need for better pay system and economic empowerment of the police to humanise the police, enhance morale and check corruption.”
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