ICRC reports 17,000 Nigerians remain missing due to insurgency

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reports that approximately 17,000 Nigerians remain missing, primarily due to conflict and insurgency in the North-East. While this figure is a decrease from 23,659 last year, the ICRC notes the decline is attributed to lost contact during tracing efforts rather than successful recoveries.

Borno State accounts for the highest number of disappearances, with roughly 9,000 of the 16,000 missing persons in the North-East recorded there. In Yobe State, the ICRC is working to locate 1,500 missing individuals. Data indicates that 65% of those missing in the North-East were children at the time of their disappearance, and 71% of all cases occurred during the peak of Boko Haram violence between 2014 and 2015.

The disappearances have caused significant emotional, economic, and legal hardships for families. In response, the ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross Society are conducting tracing efforts and awareness campaigns. In Damaturu, the ICRC has launched the Accompaniment Programme to support families dealing with the psychological and social challenges of having loved ones missing.