FG To Establish DNA Databank For Tracking Down Terrorists

Federal Government has disclosed that it would establish Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) databank with a view to deploying it towards tracking criminal elements, especially terrorists across Nigeria.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, spoke in Abuja while briefing journalists during the ongoing Second Regional Security Summit.

Onyeama revealed that of almost two million internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in the country, about 6, 000 children (below five years) have been separated from their parents, adding that such databank would also help to track their parents.

"We have within the country nearly two million internally displaced persons, a real tragedy which we have to address.

"We also have about 6, 000 children under the age of five, who are separated from their parents and homes. We have to look at how to address that human catastrophe.

"What we are looking at is the use of DNA to try and match those children with parents. The DNA databank is really what we are looking at and we could ultimately extend the databank to the whole country because we know that for a lot of countries, it is through their comprehensive DNA databank that they use in tracking terrorists and that is also going to help us in intelligence gathering."

He added that the summit would also institute a post-conflict development programme and put in place mechanisms that would ensure that the military successees in the North East are consolidated through civil programmes by winning hearts of the people through reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of the IDPs.

Source: Saharareport