14,500 missing in N’East as families groan

On International Day of the Disappeared, Nigeria's North-East continues to grapple with the anguish of families who have been left without news of their loved ones. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), over 17,000 individuals are missing across the country, with the majority of cases stemming from armed conflict, insurgency and kidnapping in the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions.

In these three North-East states – Borno, Adamawa and Yobe – an estimated 14,500 people are currently missing. For countless families, the years spent searching for their loved ones have been filled with despair and trauma. Take Kashim Mohammed, whose half-sister Falmata disappeared during a journey from Maiduguri to Port Harcourt after fleeing Boko Haram attacks.

Her mother's photographs were lost in a flood, leaving Mohammed with only his memories of her kindness. Hajja Yakura Abatcha, whose three children were killed during a Boko Haram raid, has been left with a mental health crisis and a desperate hope for her missing daughter resembling Aisha. Ba Modu Ali, whose daughter Adama was abducted by Boko Haram, suffers from blindness due to the trauma of watching his family suffer.

Maryamu Daniel, whose son Yunana was abducted while farming, continues to search for him, holding onto the hope that the ICRC's efforts may bring answers. Eli Zanna Saleh is searching for his missing daughter Bebilo and niece, both of whom disappeared during a Boko Haram attack. Despite the darkness, Zarami Bukar's reunification with his four sons after 11 years offers a glimmer of hope to other families seeking answers.