13,595 families searching for 23,659 missing persons in Nigeria – Red Cross
Agency Report
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that at least 23,659 people have been declared missing across Nigeria, with over 13,595 families still searching for their loved ones.
The announcement was made by Mr Benson Lee, ICRC’s Family Link Officer, during the commemoration of the International Day of the Disappeared in Yola on Friday.
According to him, 59% of the missing were minors at the time of their disappearance, while 67% of all cases occurred in Borno State, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency. Lee stressed that the figures represent one of the highest caseloads of missing persons documented by the ICRC globally.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says no fewer than 13,595 families are still searching for 23,659 missing persons across Nigeria.
“The ICRC Family Link Officer, Mr Benson Lee, disclosed this on Saturday in Yola at the commemoration of International Day of the Disappeared.
Lee said 59% of the missing persons were minors at the time of disappearance, and 67% of the incident occurred in Borno,” the NAN report read in part.
He explained that the disappearances are largely linked to armed conflict, violence, displacement, and other humanitarian crises, particularly in Nigeria’s North-East region.
The ICRC noted that families left behind continue to endure uncertainty, psychological distress, and economic hardship as they await news about their relatives.
