NHRC seeks national framework on transitional justice

The Senior Human Right Adviser, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Hilary Ogbona, has called for a national framework and policy on transitional justice.

He said “it will give the State an opportunity to use special mechanisms to fast track prosecution of ex-Boko Haram fighters and other perpetrators of human right abuses across the country.”

Obonna stated this at a two-day training programme for Media Practitioners on Transitional Justice and Reconciliation in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

He said, “Nigeria has a lot to benefit from the framework because Nigeria does not have an effective justice system and the resources to prosecute all perpetrators of human abuses, especially in the North-east.

“Nigeria is a country under crises, the democritisation process is being challenged by various forms of insecurity across the nation. our armed forces has done its best to uproot this crises and nip it the bud, but we see that the aftermath of these crises leave behind a trail of community woos, a trail of victims and people who have looked toward the government for justice whether it is in the North-east, North-east and recently the South-east.”

“We are in a country where everybody is in search of one form of justice or the other and transitional justice is the cheapest way to give citizens justice. Also it is one way that you don’t leave people with a sore heart. You give justice and you also reconcile. So transitional justice is unique in the sense that it gives justice and also hears the truth about what has happened in the past, how these grave human rights violations happened. It also has the final point which is reconciling victims with perpetrators.”

He said the NHRC is willing to assist the federal and state governments in to draft a policy framework on transitional justice.