The International Committee of the Red Cross has revealed that more than 24,000 Nigerians have been reported missing by their families since 2015, with a significant portion of the cases concentrated in the conflict-ravaged North-East region.
Speaking at a media workshop in Maiduguri on Wednesday, María Toscano, Team Lead for the ICRC’s Protection of Family Links, said efforts are ongoing to trace the whereabouts of the missing individuals.
She disclosed that Borno State alone accounts for approximately 9,000 of the 16,000 missing persons registered by the ICRC in the North-East.
“This is a humanitarian crisis that cannot be ignored. The figures are not just numbers—they represent real people, families torn apart by years of conflict,” Toscano said.
According to her, about 71 percent of the total cases were recorded between 2014 and 2015, with Bama Local Government Area in Borno emerging as the most affected, accounting for nearly 5,000 missing persons.
Toscano added that children made up a significant portion of the missing population. “Roughly 65 percent of those unaccounted for in the North-East were minors at the time of their disappearance,” she stated.
She cited ongoing armed conflict, limited access to remote areas, and difficulty in reaching affected families as major obstacles in the tracing process.
In 2025 alone, the ICRC has successfully reunited 11 people with their families, bringing the total number of reconnections this year to 24, including 13 individuals reintegrated earlier in 2024.
Also speaking at the workshop, the Head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Maiduguri, Diana Japaridze, expressed grave concern over the persistent and growing number of people who remain unaccounted for years after being separated from their families.
“Some people spend a lifetime searching for their loved ones, often with no answers. Families deserve to know what happened—this is their right,” Japaridze emphasized.
She called on the media to play a stronger role in highlighting the plight of missing persons, urging journalists to “amplify the voices of the affected and push for more action.”
“Media professionals have a responsibility to inform the public and hold authorities accountable. Your stories can bring attention, pressure, and possibly solutions,” she told attendees.
The ICRC continues to work closely with local authorities, community leaders, and humanitarian partners to search for the missing and support affected families, many of whom remain in limbo and psychological distress.