The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, has appealed to foreign embassies in the country to assist Nigeria in getting their home governments to help procure ICT and other equipment needed to check the growing cases of kidnapping in Nigeria.
Onyeama, who was represented by the Director, Consular and Legal Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bolaji Akinremi, at a public lecture to mark the “2021 International Day of the Disappeared,” which was organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the CLEEN Foundation, said that incidences of kidnapping in the country has become worrisome and required urgent attention.
He said that Nigeria needs assistance from friendly nations to be able to acquire the needed ICT and equipment to curb kidnapping in Nigeria.
According to The Will, the minister pointed out that kidnapping affects both Nigerians and foreigners in the country.
“The consular in the ministry of foreign affairs is being approached daily by embassies to look for their disappeared citizens in the country,” he said.
He added that to fight kidnapping requires technology to track kidnappers to their dens and this is where the country will need the help of friendly nations.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, who was represented by Commodore Oluwole Akinsanya, (Rtd.), said the military was equally worried by the large number of missing persons in Nigeria.
Oluwole noted that it is not only civilians that are missing but also, a large number of soldiers are missing in action.
He said the military was ready to work with all stakeholders to reduce the number of missing persons and find solutions to the problem, and urged that missing and disappeared people should not be forgotten. He said that everything must be done to enable foreclosure.
Comments