Red Cross tracks 17,000 missing persons in Nigeria

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) are actively tracing approximately 17,000 missing-person cases across Nigeria as of July 2026.

The current figure represents cases where organizations can maintain contact with families to pursue tracing efforts. The organizations noted that this tally does not represent the total number of missing individuals, as relocation, changing phone numbers, and security or access constraints often prevent contact.

The review followed an assessment of nearly 24,000 cases handled by the organizations over several years. Families in northeastern Nigeria have reported separations caused by fleeing attacks, abductions, and detentions.