Nigeria must confront its crisis of missing persons

The tragedy of missing persons in Nigeria has reached the level of a silent national emergency. Figures released by the International Committee of the Red Cross show that more than 23,659 Nigerians remain unaccounted for, while over 13,595 families endure the torment of uncertainty. These numbers represent fathers who never came home, mothers who vanished without trace, and children whose futures were cut short before they had even begun.

The situation demands deliberate and coordinated action. Almost seventy per cent of those searching for answers are women left to shoulder the responsibility of survival, while fifty-nine per cent of the missing were children when they disappeared. In Yobe State, particularly Gujba Local Government Area, the crisis has been most severe, with over 2,500 recorded cases of disappearance. Families there live in constant anguish, suspended between hope and despair.

Unlike death, which provides closure, disappearance prolongs suffering indefinitely. Families cannot mourn, cannot remarry, cannot inherit property, and cannot move on with their lives. This cruel limbo has left entire communities emotionally and economically paralysed.

The causes are well known: insurgency in the Northeast, criminal activity where security is absent, unsafe migration routes, and natural disasters. Each case reflects a wider failure of the state to guarantee the most basic right—the right to life and protection.

What is urgently required is a comprehensive response at both national and state levels. Nigeria must establish a National Missing Persons Commission with legal authority to investigate disappearances, coordinate search efforts, maintain a central database, and provide direct support to families. Without such an institution, cases will continue to vanish into official silence.

The National Assembly should also prioritise legislation that protects the rights of families. Such laws must address inheritance claims, provide compensation, mandate regular government reporting, and remove bureaucratic barriers to justice. Families of the missing should not be forced to navigate hostile systems in their moment of deepest grief.

State governments, particularly those in conflict-affected regions, must set up missing persons units that work with traditional leaders, communities, and humanitarian agencies such as the ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross. These units should ensure that information is collected swiftly, that families are supported, and that cases are not left unresolved.

Beyond legal and institutional measures, psychosocial support, legal aid, and economic assistance must be made available to affected families. Disappearance does not end with the incident; it continues to exact a toll on those left behind.

The broader society also carries a responsibility. Families of the missing must not be stigmatised or abandoned. Communities should provide solidarity, helping to ease the isolation that often deepens their pain.

Humanitarian organisations have shown what is possible. The ICRC has reunited families, provided psychological support, and documented cases. Yet these efforts cannot replace state responsibility. Nigeria must take ownership of this crisis.

If the country is serious about national renewal, then addressing the issue of the missing must be treated as a priority. A nation cannot claim to be on a path of progress while tens of thousands of its citizens are unaccounted for.

The government must act with urgency and compassion. Every day of delay compounds the suffering of families and deepens the wound in the nation’s conscience. Establish the commission. Pass the laws. Support the families. Mobilise the communities. These are not optional measures but essential steps in restoring trust between state and citizen.

History will measure Nigeria’s leaders by how they respond to this crisis. The time for decisive action is now.