Over 1,500 Missing Persons Reported in Yobe State

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is currently following up on over 1,500 missing-persons cases in Yobe State, as families endure uncertainty regarding their loved ones' fates. Syed Rashid Hassan, Head of the ICRC Sub-Delegation in Damaturu, revealed this figure during an event on August 28, 2026, marking the International Day of the Disappeared.

The ICRC is tracking more than 17,000 missing persons across Nigeria, with over half being children at the time of their disappearance. Hassan emphasized that these numbers likely represent only a fraction of actual cases.

To address the crisis, the ICRC has initiated a program in Damaturu to support families coping with the psychological effects of disappearance. Ali Idris, Chairman of the Families of the Missing, expressed the emotional and economic toll on families and called for greater government action.

The ICRC commended various local agencies for their efforts in supporting missing persons' families and urged for stronger national frameworks to aid in the search for the disappeared.