The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has revealed that over 25,000 persons are missing in Nigeria including 11,000 children.
Releasing the latest figures of disappeared persons across Africa, the Red Cross said there 64,000 cases reported.
The Head of Delegation for Society in Nigeria, Yann Bonzon said this in a statement issued to journalists to commemorate the International Day of the Disappered, observed every 30th of August.
The statement was signed by Ms Akpa Esther, Communication Officer, Editor and Analyst of the society in Abuja.
According to the News agency of Nigeria, Bonzon said there are over 35 active armed conflicts in Africa.
He said that thousands of people, including children, cross borders, the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of safety and better life each year adding that such movements often pose great risks, including the risk of disappearance.
He said that documented cases of missing persons were on the rise as the society warned that the actual figures were much higher.
“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,” Bonzon said.
He said that during displacement, children faced risks such as exploitation, violence, mental distress and disappearance as many also ended up alone, with no news of their families’ whereabouts.
According to him, the society has more than 5,200 documented cases of unaccompanied children in Africa.
