Insecurity: ICRC Reports 24,025 Missing Persons in Nigeria

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reported that 24,025 individuals are currently missing in Nigeria, with most cases originating from the Northeast. The long-standing Boko Haram conflict, which heavily affects Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, is a significant contributor to this alarming situation.

Lillian Dube, head of the ICRC’s sub-delegation, shared these figures during an event in Maiduguri, marking the World Day of Disappeared Persons. The documentation of these cases was carried out in partnership with the Nigeria Red Cross Society (NRCS).

According to Dube, “We have registered 24,025 people as missing, a figure that likely represents just a fraction of the true total. More than half of these cases involved children at the time of their disappearance.”

She also noted that 492 cases have been resolved, and 1,364 families have received information about their missing loved ones. Currently, 618 children remain separated from their families and are under the care of the ICRC and NRCS, with four children already reunited with their families.

In addition, the ICRC has facilitated the exchange of 1,286 messages, including those from detained individuals, to re-establish contact between separated family members, along with seven phone calls for family reconnections. More than 600 families have also benefited from psychosocial, economic, legal, and administrative support through the ICRC’s accompaniment program to address the emotional and psychological toll on families of missing persons.

Efforts to prevent family separations have been disseminated via radio, posters, leaflets, and social media. Furthermore, 8,788 names of missing persons have been broadcast across various channels, urging anyone with information to reconnect families searching for their loved ones.