Over 1,500 People Missing in Yobe – ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is monitoring over 1,500 cases of missing persons in Yobe State, Nigeria, where families grapple with uncertainty about the whereabouts of their loved ones. Speaking at a commemoration event for International Day of the Disappeared, ICRC Sub-Delegation head Syed Rashid Hassan revealed that the 1,500 cases are part of more than 17,000 missing-person reports the ICRC is following up in Nigeria, with more than half of these victims being children.

The ICRC official emphasized that these figures likely reflect only a small fraction of the total number of missing individuals across the country. Globally, the Family Links Network of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement registered more than 513,000 missing persons by the end of 2025, with missing persons being a devastating and enduring consequence of armed conflict, violence, disasters, and migration.

The ICRC's approach to supporting affected families involves collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, government authorities, and other stakeholders, focusing on preventing family separation, reunification, clarifying the fate of missing persons, protecting the dignity of the deceased, and improving documentation of unidentified bodies.

An accompaniment program in Damaturu aims to help families cope with the psychological and psychosocial impact of their loved ones' disappearances. Hassan appealed for stronger national legal and institutional frameworks, including medico-legal systems and mechanisms to determine what happened to missing persons, as well as support systems for addressing the economic and legal needs of affected families.

He praised various state agencies and community leaders for their contributions to addressing the issue, while Ali Idris, representing families of missing persons, expressed ongoing hope and uncertainty, highlighting the emotional, economic, legal, and administrative challenges faced by families.