More than 24,000 Nigerians have been reported missing by their families since 2015, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The organization is actively working to trace these individuals, with Borno State recording the highest number of cases.
ICRC’s Protection of Family Links Team Leader, María Toscano, revealed this during a media work- shop in Maiduguri that Borno accounts for approximately 9,000 of the 16,000 missing persons registered in Nigeria’s northeast.
“Of the 24,000 total cases, 71% occurred between 2014 and 2015, with Bama Local Government Area in Borno reporting around 5,000 missing individuals,” Toscano stated.
She also noted that 65% of those missing in the northeast were children at the time of their disappearance.
The ICRC has made some progress, reuniting 11 people with their families this year, in addition to 13 reunifications in 2024.
However, challenges such as limited access to conflict zones and difficulties in contacting families continue to hinder efforts.
Head of ICRC’s sub-delegation in Maiduguri, Diana Japaridze, raised alarm at the growing number of missing persons due to prolonged armed conflict.
“Families are left in anguish, sometimes for years, searching for loved ones without answers. They have a right to know what happened,” Japaridze said.
She emphasized the emotional toll of displacement and separation, which can leave families in uncertainty for decades.
Japaridze called on media professionals to raise awareness about the crisis and highlight the needs of affected families.
“The media plays a critical role in shedding light on this humanitarian issue. We hope this workshop equips you to report with empathy, accuracy, and professionalism,” she urged, stressing the importance of adhering to international humanitarian and hu- man rights laws in addressing the issue of missing persons.
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