According to Dr. Betta Edu, minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, 23,000 individuals have gone missing in less than ten years as a result of the insurgency in various regions of the nation.
Edu said this during a stakeholders engagement in Abuja to commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared with the subject “Where are you now”
The statistic, according to her, constituted half of all the missing people in Africa.
According to Edu, the insurgency in some regions of the nation was the reason behind the missing persons report issued by the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“Today, there are still over 23,000 people missing.
“However, it is likely that this is just the tip of the iceberg as a more efficient mechanism is needed to improve the reporting and forensically trace cases of missing persons,” She said.
According to the minister, one of the most serious and pervasive humanitarian effects of armed war is the problem of missing individuals, which necessitates serious consideration.
According to Edu, the current administration is committed to reducing the problem, so it is necessary to facilitate and enhance the legal frameworks that would effectively manage cases of disappearance.
More than 23,000 people identified by the Family Links Network in Nigeria as missing have not yet been found, according to Mr. Yann Bonzon, Head of Delegation, ICRC.
The amount, according to Bonzon, did not accurately reflect the scope of the problem.
“The actual number of missing people is probably far greater because Nigeria has the highest number of missing people on the continent.
“The Nigerian government must act right away to stop disappearances, to stop the severing of family ties, and to keep in touch with separated family members until a national framework is put in place.
He added, “It will also address proper management of the dead.”
In order to stop disappearances and to encourage and promote the implementation of global best practises, Bonzon stated that the ICRC would continue to collaborate closely with the government and other parties.
He added that the ICRC would help the Nigerian government develop long-term resources and capacities to create a national mechanism for the missing and their families.
People may be gone, but their families will never stop looking for them, he continued. “Let us collectively remind ourselves of that,” he said.
In order to raise awareness, the group reportedly walked from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the National Human Rights Commission. (NAN)
