AT least 23,659 persons remain unaccounted for across Nigeria, leaving 13,595 families trapped in uncertainty and anguish, according to new figures released by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The data obtained by News Point Nigeria was released over the weekend in Yola by Benson Lee, ICRC Family Link Officer, during activities marking the International Day of the Disappeared, a day set aside to remember victims of forced disappearances and support their families.
Lee explained that Nigeria’s crisis of disappearances is deeply tied to years of violent conflict and insecurity in the Northeast.
He revealed that 67% of the reported cases occurred in Borno State, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Alarmingly, 59% of the missing persons were minors at the time they vanished, underscoring the devastating impact of conflict on children and vulnerable groups.
“Behind each missing person is a family living in anguish and uncertainty, struggling with the pain of not knowing what has happened to their loved ones,” Lee said.
He further noted that the suffering of these families is compounded by economic, legal, administrative, psychological, and psychosocial challenges, as many of the missing individuals were breadwinners.
Placing Nigeria’s situation within a global framework, Lee said: “In 2024, more than 94,000 people were registered as missing by their families with the Family Links Network, bringing the current number of registered missing people to approximately 284,400.
“From our experience this is only a fraction of the true number of missing people out there.”
Representing affected families, Luka Wada, Chairman of the Family Association of Missing Persons, expressed appreciation to the ICRC for its efforts in tracing and reuniting loved ones.
He lamented that 80% of the disappearances were linked to armed conflicts, urging both government and non-governmental organisations to provide financial and humanitarian support to relatives left behind.
“Some of the missing persons were breadwinners. We thank God for life, but we cannot forget our loved ones who are missing,” Wada said.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Jamila Suleiman, Chairman of the Adamawa Peace Commission, appealed to affected families to remain prayerful and hopeful of reuniting with their missing relatives.
“The commission is working tirelessly to promote peaceful coexistence across the state to prevent conflicts that could lead to more people going missing,” she said.
Suleiman reminded families that the tragedy of disappearances should serve as a call to strengthen peace efforts in communities vulnerable to conflict.
The issue of missing persons has become a silent humanitarian crisis in Nigeria, especially in conflict-affected states like Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, where insurgency, banditry, and communal clashes continue to fuel disappearances.
For the thousands of families still waiting, each passing day deepens the emotional toll of uncertainty, the unanswered question: Are they alive or gone forever?