The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government and the relevant security agencies to exhaust all means within the ambit of the law to find all missing persons in the country.
The call came in a motion under matters of urgent National importance by Rep. Edward Pwajok at Thursday’s plenary.
The motion is on the need for professional investigation of the crises as well as call for an end to alleged indiscriminate arrest of civilians by the army.
Pwajok, leading the debate, expressed concern about the recent escalation of the crisis in the northern part of the country.
He also expressed concern that the crisis had assumed the dimension of violent attacks in communities which led to loss of lives and property, forceful occupation of ancestral lands and displacement of thousands of citizens.
He further expressed worry that even security personnel were also casualties of the attacks, adding that many had been gruesomely killed for no apparent reason than terrorism.
He said: “Worried about the reports of mass arrest of residents of Du area extending up to Rayfield, the breaking into houses of citizens without search warrant, stoppage and mishandling of motorists on the road by the army.
“Further worried by reports that many of the people including pregnant women and the aged were and are being arrested and taken to Rukuba Barracks of the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigeria Army for interrogation with some of them spending many days there.”
Pwajok noted that the fear and tension pervading some communities in Jos South local government had led to citizens fleeing their homes.
He added that this was due to reports of alleged army threats and brutality, a development he said jeopardised efforts at gathering intelligence required to find missing persons and exposure of criminals.
Pwajok said that ethnic profiling and labelling of some ethnic groups as terrorists had defeated the intent and purpose of crime fighting.
He stressed the need for security agencies and the government to act within the law and respect the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human Rights of citizens.
The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.
The House also condemned the attacks in Plateau and called on the government to put and end to the killings, attacks and kidnapping in the state.
It also urged the government, community/religious leaders and citizens to be genuinely committed to the reconciliation and peace process just as it mandated its committees on Army, Defence, Police and Human Rights to ensure compliance and report back within two weeks