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Thousands still missing despite ongoing tracing efforts
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Borno State accounts for 67% of cases linked to insurgency
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Majority of victims were minors at the time of disappearance
The International Committee of the Red Cross has revealed that no fewer than 23,659 people are currently missing across Nigeria, many of them separated from their families due to armed conflict and widespread violence.
The disclosure was made in Yola on Saturday during this year’s International Day of the Disappeared, where the organisation raised concern over the deepening humanitarian crisis caused by years of insecurity.
ICRC Protection of Family Link Officer, Mr Benson Lee, said that the problem was particularly acute in Borno State, which has borne the brunt of insurgency in the country.
According to him, 67 per cent of the missing persons in Nigeria were from the state, underscoring the devastating toll of ongoing violence in the North-East.
Lee further explained that minors made up about 59 per cent of the total missing persons, stressing that the loss of children to conflicts and forced separation continues to destroy communities and families.
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Highlighting the organisation’s work in retracing cases and reuniting families, Lee appealed to all parties in conflict to intensify efforts to prevent disappearances and provide support to the families of those still unaccounted for.
“Families of missing persons need to feel that they are not alone and their loved ones are not forgotten,” he said.
