Africa
By Chinelo Okeke
THE Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Anambra State, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje and members of the Bureau of Missing Persons have visited the International Commission of Missing Persons (ICMP), Hagues, Netherlands.
The visit was to underscore the State Bureau of Missing Persons Operandi for its effective and smooth operation of the Bureau in the state..
This was made known during the meeting with the members of the Bureau of Missing Persons held at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Justice.
Speaking, Prof. Ifemeje noted that there is need for legislative and institutional initiatives which ICMP has undertaken in other countries that helped its authorities to establish a sustainable and effective processes so as to locate large number of missing persons around the globe.
“We visited the human identification laboratories and received presentations on how data is collected and compared using ICMP’s integrated Data Management System.”
She maintained that the visit formed part of the Anambra State BMP initial outreach efforts on fact findings concerning the basic policies and legal principles guiding missing persons.
Prof. Ifemeje mentioned the principles to include human rights and rule of law principles, persons Data protection principle, institutional and administrative framework.
“As regards this, the administrative framework, rule of law, enforcement and Justice institutions, technical resources including data processing capabilities, fieldwork and human identification work with an emphasis on DNA led processes forensic capabilities should all come to play.”
She said the participation of the relatives of the missing persons during the process of investigation is paramount for effective investigation.
The Attorney General opined that the effectiveness of such investigation depends on the availability and quality of personal and other data of the missing persons, his next of kin, time and place where the person was last seen.
She added that collecting, combining and comparing of data from various sources would help in the investigation for the missing persons case.
“There is the need for a more interface between the police and the Bureau to make sure that reported cases were addressed which would help in getting to the root of the cases.”
She, then, said, “following the findings from the visit, there is the need for the provision of laptops, printers, photocopy machines, creation of websites, and a non negotiable durable power supply for the office.
“Also, there is a need for setting up an Association for Missing Persons wherein anyone can go and register and upload the missing person’s information with the clothes worn on the day of the missing.”
She emphasized on the need to partner with some institutions for effective operations like the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital and College of Medicine.
The Pro-Chancellor, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Barr. Chidi Odinkalu while speaking, emphasized on the need to partner with the teaching hospital and college of medicine for corona processes.
He mentioned it that letters should be written to hospitals to stop disposing off dead bodies without a corona report.
The Pro-chancellor stressed on the need to write to the Federal Government particularly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek their support.
The Coordinator of the group, Barr. Mathew Onwuasoanya reported that the Bureau extended to security agencies such as the Nigerian Police, Anambra State Command.
He maintained that the Bureau has been able to obtain a comprehensive inventor of missing persons in the state from 2018 till date, giving it’s total figure to be 534 persons- 233 females while 201 are males.
Barr. Onwuasoanya added that about four new cases of missing persons were reported through the Bureau and that they were later found.
The Bureau was established by the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma SoLudo in April 2023 following recommendations of the Anambra State Truth Justice and Peace Commission.
The Bureau was charged with the responsibility of accounting for missing persons and providing data that can help the police to investigate such cases.
A.I
Sept. 26, 2024
Tags: Barr. Mathew Onwuasoanya Chinelo Okeke Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje
