The International Committee of the Red Cross has said no fewer than 25,000 people have been reported missing in Nigeria.
According to the organisation, 14,000 of the total were children whose whereabouts were unknown.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday to commemorate International Day of the Disappeared, the ICRC’s Head of Delegation to Nigeria, Yann Bonzon, stated that documented cases of missing persons were on the rise.
The ICRC also stated that the registered cases do not represent the full scope of the frequently overlooked and tragic humanitarian issue.
The statement partly read, “In Nigeria alone, over 25,000 people have been reported missing. Almost 14,000 or more than half of the missing are children.
“There are over 35 active armed conflicts in Africa today, thousands of people, including children, cross borders, the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of safety and a better life each year. Such movements often entail great risk, including the risk of disappearance.
“Sadly, the almost 14,000 children registered does not capture the full scope of this often-neglected and tragic humanitarian issue. There is no doubt that there are more children whose fate remains unknown.”