The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has disclosed that no fewer than 24,000 Nigerians have been reported missing by their families, with the majority of cases linked to the conflict-ravaged North-East region.
Speaking at a media workshop in Maiduguri on Wednesday, August 6, María Toscano, ICRC’s Protection of Family Links Team Leader, revealed that Borno State alone accounts for 9,000 of the 16,000 missing cases recorded in the North-East.
She noted that Bama Local Government Area holds the highest number of missing persons in the state, estimated at 5,000.
Toscano further explained that 71 per cent of the missing cases occurred between 2014 and 2015, the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Additionally, 65 per cent of those reported missing were children at the time of disappearance.
So far in 2024, the ICRC has successfully reunited 11 individuals with their families, adding to 13 previous reunifications earlier this year.
READ ALSO: Flood: Niger Govt Confirms 200 Dead, Over 1,000 Still Missing
However, the organisation faces serious challenges, including limited access to conflict zones and difficulties in contacting affected families.
Earlier, Diana Japaridze, Head of ICRC’s sub-delegation in Maiduguri, voiced concern over the increasing number of families still searching for their loved ones after years of displacement caused by violence and conflict.
“Some people spend years searching for loved ones, often with no result. Families have a right to know their fate,” she stated.
Japaridze urged media professionals to raise awareness about the plight of missing persons and encourage public discourse on the issue.
She stressed that the media plays a vital role in educating the public and influencing policy.
“Families can become separated in a matter of minutes, creating anguish and vulnerability,” she added. “The media must help shine a light on their pain.”