…Vows to trace cases of missing persons, develop a database
Nigeria currently faces an upsurge in the number of missing persons due to a legion of armed conflicts, as official data estimates that between twenty-three thousand and twenty-five thousand persons are currently missing in the country.
This was the view of the Chairman of the Anambra State Bureau of Missing Persons and Commissioner For Justice, Professor Sylvia Ifemeje, during the inaugural meeting of the Bureau in Awka.
The bureau is charged with the mandate to trace cases of missing persons and come up with the needed database to support police investigations and eventual prosecution of suspects.
According to the Commissioner and Attorney General of the State, this data could be higher as a result of absence of official database, and explained the need to develop a database of missing persons to be handled by the Planning, Research and Statistics officer in the state Ministry of Justice as well as collaborate with security agencies in intensive investigation with regards to tracing missing persons.
Bureau Chairperson disclosed that the state has approved the establishment of a forensic facility that will help to pin suspects to the scene of a crime, adding that the bureau will also provide legal and moral assistance to affected facilities and relations of missing persons.
She thanked the Chairman, Truth, Justice and Peace Commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu for being the brainchild for the establishment of the Bureau and connecting them with the International Commission of Missing Persons to assist Anambra state in the areas of capacity building for the bureau and sharing of best practices, so that the Anambra Bureau of Missing Persons will serve as a model for other states in Nigeria.
Contributing, Professor Odinkalu said the meeting was significant to enable the state to afford closure and assistance to families of missing persons.
He urged the Bureau members to see the job an as opportunity to serve the public and an invitation to greatness, and never to be discouraged in the midst of challenges while performing the task.
A representative of the Civil Society Organization, Mrs. Hope Okoye, and a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association, Barrister Izu Umeju, provided ideas to actualize efficient and productive results.
The membership of the Bureau draws representatives from twelve Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and groups.
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