Against the backdrop of reported cases of missing persons in Nigeria, Anambra, the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has approved the establishment of Missing Persons Bureau.
The Commissioner for Information in the state, Paul Nwosu, made this known in a statement, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Nwosu said that the State Executive Council gave their approval for the setting up of the bureau at a meeting, according to NAN..
According to Nwosu, the bureau which would be housed in the Ministry of Justice, was part of the fulfilment of the recommendation of the Truth, Justice and Peace Commission.
Members of the bureau comprising the Chairman, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, the Secretary, Bianca Ojukwu and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Sylvia Chika Ifemeje, submitted its report to Governor Soludo on February 17.
The commissioner said that part of the mandate of the bureau was to trace cases of missing persons, and come up with the needed data base to support police investigations and eventual prosecution of suspects.
The committee was constituted by Soludo on June 23, 2022 following agitations that led to alleged killings and destruction of property in the state and the South East region.
The objective of the commission is to seek for a restorative justice approach for truth-telling or real facts, and for the healing of the victims of violence.
It was also part of its mandate to account for the responsibility and accountability of the actors, and conditional mercy for the repentant perpetrators.
The committee was also tasked with handling victims’ restitution for certain losses and rehabilitation to allow restoration of peace, as well as promotion of development in Anambra State.