Families appeal for govt action as over 1,500 missing in Yobe

From Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu

Families in Yobe State are appealing to government authorities and humanitarian agencies for urgent action to clarify the fate of thousands of missing relatives.

The call was raised in Damaturu during an event marking the 2026 International Day of the Disappeared.

According to Sayd Rashid Hassan, Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Sub-Delegation in Yobe, over 1,500 people are officially registered as missing in Yobe State alone—part of a larger nationwide tally exceeding 17,000 cases. Hassan noted that these numbers reflect only a portion of the true total and revealed that more than half of the missing individuals in Yobe were children when they vanished.

Globally, the Red Cross Family Links Network logged over 513,000 registered missing persons cases by the end of 2025.

Key Takeaways & Initiatives

Core Challenges: Disappearances resulting from armed conflict, violence, disasters, and migration leave families facing severe emotional distress, financial hardship, and complex legal or administrative obstacles.

ICRC Support: The ICRC is focusing on family reunification, preventing separation, dignified handling of human remains, and updating coroner laws. Over 50 local families have received support through its Damaturu Accompaniment Programme.

Institutional Collaboration: Local efforts are backed by the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Ministry of Justice, and local schools, which are integrating prevention awareness into primary curricula.

Family Advocacy: Malam Ali Idriss, Chairman of the Families of the Missing, called on institutions to ease the search process for relatives. He also announced plans to form an official association to give affected families a unified voice for mutual support and institutional engagement.