The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on the Nigerian government to take urgent and comprehensive measures to address insecurity and the growing cases of enforced disappearances, kidnappings, and abductions across the country.
In a statement to mark the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, described the trend as a grave violation of human dignity that has left countless families in anguish, uncertainty, and psychological distress.
Dr. Ojukwu noted that insurgency, banditry, herder-farmer clashes, separatist violence, and worsening poverty continue to fuel the phenomenon of missing persons nationwide. He expressed particular concern about enforced disappearances linked to security operations, warning that such practices undermine human rights and erode public trust in government institutions.
Citing the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, he reminded the government of its obligation to safeguard the rights to liberty, security, and protection from torture. He urged security agencies to uphold human rights standards in their operations and ensure perpetrators of abductions and enforced disappearances are prosecuted.
Reaffirming the Commission’s solidarity with families of missing persons, Dr. Ojukwu pledged continued advocacy and support, stressing: “They may be missing but definitely not forgotten.”
He emphasized that only a holistic response—addressing insurgency, banditry, communal violence, separatist agitations, and poverty—can curb the crisis of missing persons and restore citizens’ confidence in state institutions.
