Concerns as Over 1,500 People Missing in APC-led State
- The ICRC disclosed that it is following up on more than 1,500 missing-persons cases in Yobe state, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) is in power
- The figure is part of over 17,000 cases being tracked across Nigeria, with children making up more than half of those reported missing
- Families of the missing in Yobe appealed for stronger government support, saying their struggles go beyond the search for loved ones
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Damaturu, Yobe state - Amid growing concerns, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is following up on more than 1,500 missing-persons cases in Yobe alone, as families across the state continue to endure prolonged uncertainty over the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.
As reported by Daily Trust on Friday, August 28, 2026, Syed Rashid Hassan, Head of the ICRC Sub-Delegation in Damaturu, disclosed the figure on Thursday at an event marking the 2026 International Day of the Disappeared, held in Damaturu. Guardian also noted the development.
Source: Original
Over 17,000 Nigerians missing, ICRC says
Hassan said the Yobe figure sits within a broader national caseload of more than 17,000 missing persons being tracked by the ICRC across Nigeria. More than half of those reported missing were children at the time of their disappearance. He added that even these numbers likely captured only a portion of actual cases, given how many disappearances go unreported.
Globally, the Family Links Network of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement had registered more than 513,000 missing persons by the end of 2025.
Hassan described missing persons as among the gravest and most enduring consequences of armed conflict, violence, disasters and migration. He said the impact on families extended far beyond grief, leaving them to navigate emotional, economic, legal, administrative and psychosocial difficulties with little support.
"Today, many families are still living in uncertainty, causing agony and unspeakable suffering," he said.
Source: Facebook
ICRC launches support for missing families
To address the crisis, the ICRC has launched an accompaniment programme in Damaturu aimed at helping families cope with the psychological toll of disappearance. More than 50 families have so far benefited from the initiative, which is run in partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, government agencies and community stakeholders.
Hassan called for more robust national frameworks to support the search for missing persons, including stronger medico-legal systems, clearer mechanisms for determining the fate of the disappeared and better legal and economic safety nets for affected families.
He commended the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for supporting a national mass-fatality response plan, the Ministry of Justice's Justice Sector Reform Team for reviewing the coroner's law, and the Yobe State Universal Basic Education Board (YBSUBEB) for agreeing to include messages on preventing family separation in primary school activities.
Ali Idris, Chairman of the Families of the Missing, spoke on behalf of those affected, saying families were caught between hope and despair while waiting for answers. He said the absence of information had damaged their emotional wellbeing, livelihoods and family bonds.
Idris welcomed the ICRC's tracing and mental health support efforts but urged government authorities to do more.
"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. But we also need support for the families who have been left behind," he said.
The International Day of the Disappeared is observed every year on August 30 to honour missing persons and stand in solidarity with the families they left behind.
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Yobe approves N460.8m for empowerment
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Yobe government approved N460.83 million to empower female small business owners, including akara sellers, across the state.
The approval was part of resolutions reached at the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Mai Mala Buni at the Government House, Damaturu.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Abdullahi Bego, said the intervention is aimed at supporting women engaged in small-scale businesses through the provision of essential items to boost their livelihoods.
Source: Legit.ng
