Families of 1,500 missing people in Yobe are appealing to the government and security agencies to trace them

The families of 1,500 missing people in Yobe State have urged the government, security agencies and humanitarian organizations to intensify efforts to trace their loved ones and determine their whereabouts.

These distraught families made the call on Thursday in Damaturu during activities to mark the 2026 International Day of the Missing.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in Damaturu, revealed that more than 1,500 people were registered as missing in Yobe, out of more than 17,000 cases tracked across Nigeria.

Head of the ICRC Sub-Delegation in Yobe State, Sayd Rashid Hassan, said the figure represented only a small fraction of the actual number of missing people.

Hassan added that more than 50 percent of those registered in the state were children when they disappeared from their communities. He said the ICRC seeks to prevent family separation, reunite families, determine the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, and protect the dignity of the deceased.

He therefore called for a stronger system to document and identify unidentified remains, and noted that more than 50 families in Damaturu had received support through the ICRC Mentoring Program.

Speaking on behalf of the affected families, Chairman of the Families of the Missing, Malam Ali Idriss, urged government agencies and other stakeholders to make it easier for families to access information and assistance.

He said the impact of disappearances is more than just uncertainty on loved ones, as families also face emotional stress, economic hardship and challenges in obtaining legal and administrative documents.

“Every person missing is a father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, friend or loved one. Every person lost matters,” he said.

Idriss called for coordinated support for affected families and stronger measures to prevent disappearances, adding that the families sought to establish an association to promote mutual support, advocacy and engagement with governments and humanitarian organizations.