Ogun moves to scrap 24-hour rule for reporting missing persons

The Ogun State Government has proposed a new law that will abolish the long-standing practice of waiting 24 or 48 hours before reporting a missing person, insisting that immediate reporting is crucial to saving lives.

Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), disclosed this while speaking on Eagle 102.5 FM, explaining that the proposed Missing Persons Bill is one of four criminal justice bills approved by the State Executive Council and forwarded to the House of Assembly.

According to him, the bill seeks to create a unified legal framework for handling missing persons cases and eliminate delays that often frustrate rescue efforts.

"You probably would be aware of this practice where people will report others as missing only to be advised to wait for 24 hours or 48 hours before coming. That now is being outlawed. There's now a duty to report as early as possible," Ogungbade said.

He stressed that studies have shown the first 24 hours after a person goes missing are the most critical for successful rescue operations.

The proposed legislation will also impose penalties on parents, guardians or anyone reasonably expected to know a missing person's whereabouts if they fail to report the disappearance promptly.

Ogungbade said the Ministry of Justice frequently receives reports of missing persons across all age groups but noted that existing laws often delay investigations because law enforcement agencies struggle to obtain vital records such as bank transactions and telecommunications data.

To tackle the challenge, the bill provides for stronger collaboration between the Ministry of Justice, the Nigeria Police Force and the judiciary, allowing investigators to quickly obtain necessary records through court orders or, in urgent cases, directly from service providers under the law.

The proposed legislation also introduces rapid-response measures for child abduction cases, including immediate alerts to transport unions, motor parks and other relevant agencies to prevent children from being moved out of the state.

Ogungbade expressed confidence that the bill would strengthen the fight against kidnapping, ritual killings and human trafficking while improving the state's response to missing persons cases.