The Nigerian authorities must demonstrate genuine commitment to end the heinous crime of enforced disappearances, which is widely prevalent across all parts of the country, with thousands of people missing or disappeared for many years, especially in areas facing conflicts, says Amnesty International Nigeria to mark this year’s International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance.
The global rights organization marked the day in Abuja by bringing together victim’s families, activists, law enforcement, civil society and the media.
The country director Amnesty International Nigeria Isa Sanusi who delivered the opening remarks said that it is unfortunate that the Nigerian government continues fail to open effective investigations on people forcibly disappeared persons, lamenting that enforced disappearance is a longstanding tactic used to silence critics and instill fear in civilian populations.
Civil rights activists Omoyele Sowore and Senator Shehu Sani who delivered remarks chide Nigerian government for failing to account for many who were forcibly disappeared and described enforced disappearance as an instrument of terror used by the state and non-state actors to silence dissent.
Both human rights defenders described the abduction of Abubakar Idris (Dadiyata) – a critic of Nigerian government – and many other Nigerians, as a clear testimony of the failure of the authorities to protect the sanctity of life. Omoyele Sowore, noted that there will only be justice if those behind all enforced disappearances through arbitrary and unlawful arrests are held to account. Senator Shehu Sani said Dadiyata’s case and the silence of those who should have spoken about it indicates utter disdain for the sanctity of life.
The occasion featured Usman Idris Usman the brother of Dadiyata who recounted many attempts his family made to make the authorities to take action or make efforts to trace Dadiyata without success. He also lamented that despite writing to all agencies of government relevant to the matter, his family and the two daughters of Dadiyata were left without any accountability – four years on.
Merit Ifedi whose father and mother Sunday Ifedi and Calista Ifedi were taken by security operatives from their home in Enugu, on 23 November 2021 over alleged membership of IPOB lamented that she had to drop out of school in the absence of her parents – held incommunicado – so that she can care for her siblings. She described the pain of not been given access to her parents for over 644 days. “Since 2021 that they picked my parents, there was no word and there was so much uncertainty regarding where my parents are,” she added.
Amnesty International calls on the Nigerian authorities to criminalize enforced disappearance under national law and make it punishable by appropriate penalties in view of its devastating impact on families.
“With ongoing conflicts across Nigeria, more families are having to bear the pain of enforced disappearance,” the organization’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, said.
