About 23,000 Nigerians are still missing as a result of insecurity including banditry, insurgency and other form of criminal activities, according to the Federal Government.
During an event at the National Human Rights Commission commemorating the International Day of the Disappeared, Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, announced that the precise number of people who have gone missing in the country is currently unknown.
Ali Grema, the Director of Humanitarian Affairs, represented Edu at the event and emphasized the need for a more effective system to improve reporting and forensic tracing of missing individuals.
“In Nigeria, it’s reported that in less than a decade, more than 25,000 persons are registered as missing by ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) as a result of the insurgency in the North East. This represents half the number of missing persons in the whole of Africa.
“Today, over 23,000 persons are still missing. However, it is likely that this is just the tip of the iceberg as a more efficient mechanism is needed to improve the reporting and forensically trace cases of missing persons. To date, the exact number of people going missing in the country is not yet determined,” Edu said.
She added, “We shall ensure the domestication of international treaties and instruments through a whole of society and whole of government approach. These actions will strengthen our mechanism to address issues of missing persons effectively and efficiently.”
Earlier, the head of ICRC Nigeria Delegation, Yann Bonzon, said family members of people who disappeared had been left with the anguish of not knowing the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones.
