IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission, Laurent De Boeck, stated that full disclosure not only helps to put an end to cases of serious state-sanctioned violations of human rights whose details are vague and unexplained, but also makes it possible to investigate these cases and bring those found responsible to justice.
De Boeck stated during a weekend event in Abuja that serious breaches of humanitarian law and egregious violations of human rights frequently bring up the need to know the truth.
He mentioned kidnappings by non-state organizations and kidnappings for ransom on a large scale that extended throughout the states of Nigeria as some of the most serious instances of egregious human rights violations.
“We must recognize that the pursuit of truth and justice is a long and challenging journey but it is one that we must undertake if we are to build a better and a more just society.”
“Human trafficking and kidnapping are not only crime but they are also gross violations of human rights. To ensure freedom and a chance at a new life, IOM offers comprehensive direct assistance packages to victims of trafficking in collaboration with our partners.”
“Out of the 30, 520 total of migrants returned under the assisted voluntary repatriation program of IOM, 4, 096, representing 13 percent of the number, are victims of trafficking,” he said.
Tony Ojukwu, the NHRC’s executive secretary, noted that the United Nations designates March 24 as the International Day of Truth to honor and remember Monsignor Oscar Romero, who was murdered for supporting and protesting egregious human rights violations.
He said “Nigeria has taken steps towards seeking truth and justice in various ways such as the establishment of the Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission among others.”
According to him, “After the #EndSARS protests and the Lekki Toll Gate incident which were wrought with human rights violations by the police and the military, the national human rights commission established a judicial panel of inquiry in 2021 to investigate cases of human rights violations by law enforcement officers.”
Omeiza Ajayi, senior political correspondent for the Vanguard newspaper, noted that the media is frequently the first victim of truth because criminals always work to ensure that the truth is never revealed. Ajayi was speaking on the crucial role of the media in reporting truth, delving into past events with the aim of enlightening the public on issues like egregious human rights violations.
He discussed the media’s crucial role in educating the public about their rights and ultimately inspiring stakeholders to take action.
“The journalists responsibility to the public excels or trumps any other responsibility.
“The right to the truth has to do with the obligation of the state to provide information to victims or to their families or even society as a whole about the circumstances surrounding serious or grave violations of human rights.”
“This is an obligation imposed on states by the UN but states would often act in conformity with Newton’s first law of motion. They will not move until an external force propels them.”
“Newton’s first law states that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force. In this context, the media is that external force.”
He continues by saying that in today’s world, the truth concerning violations of human rights experiences cataclysmic convulsions. Speaking the truth often causes people to stumble, but the media cannot stumble when protecting the right to the truth.
