Families and stakeholders urge greater action on missing persons in Nigeria

Adamawa State has joined the rest of the world in marking the International Day of the Disappeared 2026, calling on stakeholders to pay greater attention to the issue of persons missing in the country without trace due to the Boko Haram insurgency and other armed conflicts, especially in the North East.

Speaking at this year’s celebration weekend in Yola, Missing Families Association Adamawa State Secretary, Joshua Audu, said the event is not just a day of remembrance, but a day of courage, solidarity, support and renewed commitment for the world to know that they have not forgotten their missing loved ones.

He said the theme of this year’s celebrations, “We listen to the living hope”, captures the reality of families who have continued to live with unanswered questions because when one disappears the grief does not accompany the passage of time as each day brings the same questions about what happened to their loved ones, are they alive and would they know the truth about what happened to their missing loved ones?

He urged the Government and stakeholders at all levels to pay attention and intensify efforts to identify missing persons and reconnect them with their families, stressing that the issue of missing persons must not be forgotten because every missing person is important and every family deserves a response.

He assured that they would continue to work with the authorities and other interested parties until their loved ones were found.

Furthermore, ICRC delegate for the protection of family ties, Emeline Montel, said that their Red Cross movement has registered more than 500,000 missing people worldwide, which is only a fraction of the reality.

He said more than 3,000 families whose loved ones have gone missing have been registered in Adamawa State.

He attributed the causes of missing persons in Nigeria to the armed conflict in the north-east, stressing that the ICRC has maintained contact with the families of 17,000 missing persons and reiterated their commitment to continue the good work until all missing persons are found.

Emeline further noted that the issue of missing persons has an immense impact not only on families but also on society.