Boko Haram: 22,000 missing In Northeast insurgency – ICRC

The Red Cross on Thursday said that nearly 22,000 people, mostly children, are missing as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria.

The uprising which has claimed over 27,000 lives, and displaced about two million, began in 2009 following the killing of the insurgent’s leader, Mohammed Yusuf by security agents.

In a statement made available to newsmen, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the number of missing Nigerians as a result of the crisis, constituted the highest number of missing persons registered with the organisation in any country.

According to ICRC, 60 percent of the total were minors at the time they went missing, meaning that thousands of parents do not know where their children are and if they are alive or dead.

The statement read, “Every parent’s worst nightmare is not knowing where their child is. This is the tragic reality for thousands of Nigerian parents, leaving them with the anguish of a constant search.”

“People have the right to know the fate of their loved ones, and more needs to be done to prevent families from being separated in the first place,” he said.

According to the statement, during the visit, Maurer met with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, senior government officials, civil society and business leaders.

He also spoke with family members affected by conflict in the northeastern cities of Maiduguri and Monguno, many of whom have missing relatives.

The Red Cross said that some families were often separated while fleeing attacks, while others have had loved ones abducted or detained and do not know their whereabouts.

“The ICRC works with the Nigeria Red Cross and other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in the region to trace missing people by showing photographs, calling out names and going door-to-door in camps and communities.”

“So far, 367 cases have been solved since ICRC received its first cases in 2013, underscoring the immense challenges that come with finding missing people and reconnecting them with their families in Nigeria.”