The International Committee of the Red Cross has disclosed that 25,000 persons are said to be missing in the North-East due to conflicts.
This was contained in a statement signed by Aliyu Dawobe and Pat Griffiths and issued ahead of its Tuesday meeting with stakeholders co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and, Social Development as well as the National Human Rights Commission.
The Deputy Protection Coordinator ICRC, Kouame Adjoumani, was quoted to have the stakeholders would meet to seek solutions for those missing and their families.
According to the coordinator, “behind every missing person, there are many more people suffering from the anguish and uncertainty of not knowing the fate and whereabouts of a loved one.
“Families of the missing face economic, psychosocial, administrative and legal difficulties all at once – and can be unable to rebuild their lives until these challenges are overcome.”
The meeting was convened to raise awareness, establish collaborative networks, develop methods towards solutions, build avenues for engagement, as well as discuss priorities and an action plan to support families of the missing.
A delegate who works with families of the missing for the ICRC in Nigeria, Anne-Sofie Stockman, the actual number of missing persons could be more than 25,000, adding that more than 90 per cent of ICRC missing cases in Nigeria are connected to the armed conflicts in the northeast.
“Our caseload of more than 25,000 missing people in Nigeria is likely just the tip of the iceberg.
“The actual number of those missing is likely much higher.”
It would be recalled that in 2022, together with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the ICRC helped exchange 4319 ‘Red Cross messages’ and facilitated 812 phone calls between separated family members, while facilitating 14 family reunions and provided psychosocial, economic, legal, and administrative support to 156 people affected by missing loved ones.
