No fewer than 25,000 persons are said to be missing, according to stakeholders, who met to ensure their families are not forgotten.
The missing persons are victims of conflict in the North-East, according to a statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday.
The statement was signed by Aliyu Dawobe and Pat Griffiths and issued ahead of its Tuesday meeting with stakeholders.
The meeting is being co-hosted by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, as well as the National Human Rights Commission.
The stakeholders said the essence of the meeting would be to seek solutions for those missing and their families.
The Deputy Protection Coordinator of the ICRC, Kouame Adjoumani, was quoted as having said, “Behind every missing person, many more people are 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 conveyed to raise awareness, establish collaborative networks, develop methods towards solutions, build avenues for engagement, and discuss priorities and an action plan to support families of the missing.
Also, Anne-Sofie Stockman, an ICRC delegate who works with families of the missing in Nigeria, disclosed that the actual number of missing persons could be much higher than the 25,000 figure.
