The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has revealed that 23,659 individuals have disappeared throughout Nigeria.
During an event in Yola on Saturday, the ICRC noted that this situation persists despite ongoing efforts to reunite missing individuals with their families, a separation often caused by armed conflicts and various forms of violence.
Mr. Benson Lee, the Protection of Family Link Officer at the ICRC, shared this information in Yola while commemorating this year’s International Day of the Disappeared. He highlighted that the issue of missing persons is particularly prevalent in Borno State, where the insurgency has been most intense. Lee pointed out that 67 percent of the total missing persons in Nigeria are from Borno State.
He also mentioned that approximately 59 percent of those who went missing were minors at the time of their disappearance.
Lee emphasized that the organization has been actively involved in locating numerous missing individuals and reuniting them with their families. He called on all parties involved in the conflict to take necessary measures to prevent further disappearances.
The ICRC representative appealed for compassion towards the families of missing individuals, stating, “Families of missing persons need to feel that they are not alone and that their loved ones are not forgotten.”