Over 1,500 persons missing in Yobe since Boko Haram insurgency – ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said it is currently following up on more than 1,500 cases of missing persons in Yobe State since the outbreak of the Boko Haram conflict.

The Head of the ICRC Sub-Delegation in Damaturu, Syed Rashid Hassan, disclosed this ahead of August 30 commemoration of the 2026 International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

He said the figure is part of more than 17,000 missing-person cases being tracked by the ICRC across Nigeria, with more than half of those reported missing being children at the time of their disappearance.

Hassan described enforced disappearance as “one of the most devastating and long-lasting consequences of armed conflict and other situations of violence, disasters and migration.”

He noted that families are left with emotional, economic, legal and psychological burdens.

“Today, many families are still living in uncertainty, causing agony and unspeakable suffering,” he said.

The ICRC official said the organisation has adopted a holistic approach, working with the Nigerian Red Cross, government agencies and community leaders to prevent family separation, reunite families and clarify the fate of missing persons.

He added that the ICRC recently launched an accompaniment programme in Damaturu to provide mental health and psychosocial support.

Speaking on behalf of the families, the chairman of families of the missing persons, Ali Idris, said they continue to live between hope and uncertainty.

“Our needs go beyond finding our missing loved ones. Yes, we need answers. We need continued efforts to search for and clarify the fate and whereabouts of those who are missing,” Idris said.

The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is marked every August 30.

This year, the commemoration highlights the continued plight of families seeking answers about their missing loved ones.