The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says more than 23,659 people remain missing in Nigeria, leaving 13,595 families in anguish, most of them women struggling with uncertainty and hardship.
Mr Ishaku Luka, Protection of Family Links Team Leader of ICRC in Damaturu, disclosed this on Sunday during activities to mark the International Day of the Disappeared.
He said 68 per cent of those still searching for answers were women, while 59 per cent of those missing were minors at the time of their disappearance.
According to him, Yobe State alone accounts for 2,500 cases, the majority recorded in Gujba Local Government Area.
“Behind every missing person is a family living in pain, uncertainty and economic difficulty.
“The anguish is compounded by legal, administrative and psychosocial challenges.
“These families deserve acknowledgement, care and support,” Luka said.
He explained that the issue of missing persons was one of the most devastating consequences of armed conflicts, disasters and migration.
He urged parties to conflicts, authorities and communities to take greater responsibility in preventing disappearances.
Sharing ICRC’s interventions, Luka said by June 30, the organisation had collected 451 new cases in Nigeria, and closed 515 cases.
Luka added that the organisation had facilitated the reunification of seven separated children with their families.
“Every day, worldwide, we help reunite 20 people with their families. Every hour, we help clarify the fate of two missing people. Every minute, we help four separated persons contact their loved ones,” he added.
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Mr Rashid Hassan, Head of ICRC Sub-delegation in Damaturu, said families of the missing should not be left alone in their struggles.
“Time does not heal. Acknowledgement, answers and respect do.
“Families must know that their loved ones are not forgotten and their demands are heard,” Hassan stressed.
He said the ICRC, working with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), had provided mental health and psychosocial support, livelihood assistance, and orientation programmes for families of missing persons in Borno and Adamawa states.
Hassan urged authorities to fulfill their obligations by clarifying the fate of missing persons, protecting the dignity of the dead, and addressing the economic and social needs of the affected families.
He also called on society to show solidarity, avoid stigmatisation, and support the resilience of families searching for answers.
Globally, Hassan said, more than 94,000 people were newly registered as missing in 2024, bringing the total to 284,400.
He stressed, however, that the figure represented only a fraction of the real number.
“As we commemorate this day, we renew our commitment to advocate for the rights of the disappeared and to push for continuous efforts in searching for answers.
“No family should live with the torment of uncertainty,” Hassan said.
