ICRC says 17,000 missing-person cases still being traced in Nigeria

About 17,000 missing-person cases remain under active tracing in Nigeria, the International Committee of the Red Cross has said.

The figure covers families still waiting for answers after years of conflict and displacement, especially in the North-East. The ICRC said its register previously held about 24,000 cases, but the reduction does not mean about 7,000 people have been found.

Premium Times reported that ICRC spokesperson Aliyu Dawobe gave the update during a two-day training for journalists on humanitarian reporting in Lagos. He said some files are no longer active because the organisation lost contact with relatives who first reported the missing persons, including families who relocated, returned to their communities, changed phone numbers or died.

Daily Trust reported Dawobe as saying the humanitarian work includes tracing missing people and trying to reunite them with their families. He linked the cases to the long-running crisis in the North-East, where displacement has separated many families for years.

The ICRC said families of missing people often face emotional distress, financial pressure and legal problems when they cannot confirm whether a relative is alive or dead. The organisation asked the media to report such cases with care, avoiding details that could expose families to further harm.

Dawobe said humanitarian reporting should help protect affected communities, not deepen stigma or trauma. He also said people who report missing relatives need to maintain contact with tracing teams so the cases can remain active.

Sources: Premium Times, Daily Trust