News and Events

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have announced the launch of a project aimed at Promoting Reconciliation, Reintegration and Transitional Justice in North Eastern Nigeria.

The project which is funded by the European Union (EU) seeks to promote a community based non-judicial transitional justice process aimed at providing mechanism for reconciliation, restorative and transitional justice for both victims and community while reintegrating the returning ex-fighters into the communities.

It could be recalled that the north-eastern part of the country has been bedeviled by the adverse effects of the Boko Haram insurgency for over a decade. This has left property worth billions of naira destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people dead and millions displaced. The insurgency has disrupted family life and social cohesions in communities with lots of children orphaned, women turned widows and the aged left to take care of themselves even without the availability of resources to do so.

There is therefore a great need to rebuild the region; people have to go back to their normal lives without fear and mistrust of the other person. Most importantly, there is a need for the people to forgive and reintegrate the perpetrators of the crime of insurgency in order to forge ahead.

The project will be implemented in 7 communities in three states of the north east as follows: Borno (Bama, Banki, Gwoza and Konduga), Adamawa (Malkohi and Madagali), and Yobe (Gujba).

The project will work with government institutions, community and religious leaders and heads of population groups across the states and communities to build capacity and establish frameworks for reconciliation and transitional justice. Major activities for the project include regional, state and local level consultations and outreach, development of transitional justice frameworks and building of capacity at local and state levels for transitional justice and reconciliation. There will also be high level policy advocacy and the development of relevant legal, media and policy tools and frameworks to support the achievement of the project objectives.

According to the Executive Secretary, insurgency in the north east has subjected people to the worst forms of human rights violations in the history of Nigeria and has brought untold physical, emotional and psychological losses on the victims and their families. “There is a need to put an end to the senseless human rights violations and promote reconciliation and justice” he said.

The UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria Mohammed Yahaya stated that there is a great need to effectively implement the project as it will create mechanisms for victims and communities to find closure and gain the needed impetus to forge ahead in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the post conflict societies. He said that one of the best ways to end insurgency is to begin a process of reconciliation and transitional justice. He pledged the support of UNDP’s experiences and best practices across the world for the successful implementation of the project.

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