ICRC Says Over 17,000 People Still Missing After North-east Insurgency

21st September, 2026 | News

ICRC: Over 17,000 People Still Missing in North-East Nigeria

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says more than 17,000 people remain missing in Nigeria’s North-East following years of insurgency and displacement linked to Boko Haram.

ICRC spokesperson Aliyu Dawobe disclosed this during a two-day training for journalists on humanitarian reporting in Lagos. He said the figure was previously above 24,000 but had been revised after the organisation lost contact with some affected families.

According to Dawobe, the ICRC is continuing efforts to trace missing persons and reunite them with their families. He noted that millions of people remain in need of humanitarian assistance, while many families have been separated from loved ones for more than a decade.

The ICRC also urged journalists to place victims at the centre of conflict reporting and highlight the human impact of insurgency, displacement and trauma.