The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Nigeria Red Cross Society (NRCS) say that no fewer than 25,000 individuals in the North-East have been reported missing by their family members.
Precious Yaro, ICRC’s field Officer, Families of the Missing, disclosed this on Wednesday in Yola, during the commemoration of the 2023 International Day of the Disappeared.
Yaro said that the individuals got missing due to the conflict and insurgency in the North-East, adding that the statistics were collated from records in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
She said the figure covers 2015 to date, and added that the ICRC was working closely with the families of the missing through their accompaniment programme.
The officer said that the programme provides support to more than 400 families of the missing including 20 children.
She said they have been equipped with the tools to better cope with the absence of their loved ones.
Yaro urged government to contribute to the establishment of a national working mechanism, toward creating a legal framework at state level to support families of the missing.
Earlier, Mrs Fatima Ibrahim, Deputy Head of Sub-delegation, ICRC Yola, said globally ICRC has relocated 13,000 people and reunited nearly 5,000 people with their families.
She said that the ICRC works to protect the lives and dignity of people affected by armed conflict and to provide them with necessary assistance.
“This means prevention of human suffering is at the heart of our action by promoting respect for international Humanitarian Law and universal humanitarian principles,” she said.
Mr Saso Ali, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs in the state said that the ministry had recorded 81 cases of reunification between January to date.
She called on the families of missing persons to take it as an act of God and continue praying for their loved ones.
Mr Joshua Audu, Secretary of Association of missing persons, appealed to the state government to look into the plight and suffering of the missing families.
He also appreciated the ICRC and other partners for their support, concern and understanding.