RULAAC ASKS ARMY, DSS, POLICE TO FIND MISSING ACTIVIST

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has warned that nothing must happen to the Nigerian content creator and social media critic, Justice Mark Chidiebere, popularly known as Justice Crack, who suddenly went missing after answering a mysterious call on Tuesday.

It was reported on Wednesday that the circumstances surrounding Justice Crack’s sudden disappearance suggest a possible case of enforced disappearance or unlawful detention.

According to his family members and associates, Justice Crack went missing on Tuesday, April 28, after he answered a mysterious call and called his wife to inform her he was going for an undisclosed meeting at an undisclosed location in Abuja and failed to return home.

Since then, his phones have remained switched off, while all attempts to reach him have failed.

As efforts to locate him continue, his friends and associates said that his last tracked location was the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA) Shopping Complex, Asokoro, Abuja.

This has raised suspicions whether he was taken by the military, having been vocal about the poor feeding and welfare of the frontline soldiers fighting terrorists in the North.

Justice Crack also questioned the Nigerian Army’s claim that the serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Abdulsamad Jamiu, who was shot dead in Abuja, was killed by a stray bullet during a cross-fire between the soldiers and armed robbers.

Reacting to his disappearance, RULAAC in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, described the silence from security agencies over his whereabouts as disturbing, noting that no authority has confirmed whether he was in custody.

“The absence of information, combined with the circumstances of his disappearance, raises serious fears of enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, or abduction,” RULAAC said.

According to RULAAC, Justice Crack’s disappearance under such conditions sends a dangerous signal to citizens who speak out against abuse of power.

“Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy. Where individuals who exercise this right disappear under suspicious circumstances, it signals a dangerous erosion of constitutional guarantees and undermines public confidence in state institutions,” the group said.

RULAAC stressed that under the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights obligations, the government has a duty to protect citizens’ rights to life, dignity, liberty and security, investigate disappearances, disclose the whereabouts of detainees, prevent arbitrary detention and ensure accountability for abuses.

The group said the reported facts surrounding Justice Crack’s disappearance, including his sudden departure for a meeting, loss of contact, lack of official acknowledgement and unverified reports about his last known location, resemble patterns historically associated with unlawful detention and enforced disappearance.

RULAAC therefore called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and military authorities to immediately state whether the missing social critic is in their custody.

The group also demanded the public disclosure of his whereabouts, his immediate release if unlawfully detained, or access to lawyers, medical care and family if he is legally in custody.

The group further urged authorities to launch an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his disappearance, protect his family and supporters from harassment, and punish anyone found responsible.

“The continued silence of authorities in the face of this situation is unacceptable. Every passing hour without clarity increases the risk to his life and safety and deepens public anxiety,” RULAAC added.

“Nigeria must not descend into a state where citizens disappear for expressing dissenting views or demanding accountability.

“Enforced disappearance is not only a grave human rights violation, it is an assault on the rule of law itself.

“The Nigerian authorities must act immediately, transparently, and decisively to locate Mr. Chidiebere and guarantee his safety. Nothing must happen to him.”

SaharaReporters reported that Justice Crack’s wife, family members and associates have launched frantic efforts to trace him, while complaints have also been lodged with the police.