Families of Boko Haram Missing Persons Seek Renewed Efforts to Find Loved Ones

YOLA —By Ojoma Yusuf,Yola

Families of persons who disappeared during the Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast Nigeria have called for renewed efforts to trace their missing relatives and provide answers to those who have lived for years in uncertainty.

The families made the appeal in Adamawa State while commemorating the 2026 International Day of the Disappeared, observed under the theme, “Keep Our Case Alive.”

The two-day programme featured a sanitation exercise at Vinuklang in Girei Local Government Area and a meeting in Yola, aimed at strengthening solidarity among families of missing persons and drawing attention to their plight.

The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, has left a devastating humanitarian impact across the Northeast, displacing millions of people and leaving thousands missing following armed attacks, abductions and other consequences of the conflict.

For families whose relatives disappeared, the uncertainty surrounding their fate has created deep emotional pain, making it difficult for many to mourn or move on with their lives because they do not know whether their loved ones are alive or dead.

Speaking during the commemoration, Emeline Montel, Protection of Family Links Delegate with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Mubi, said the annual observance provides an important platform to highlight the humanitarian challenges faced by missing persons and their families.

Montel stressed the need to keep cases of missing persons alive and ensure that affected families continue to receive support while efforts to determine the whereabouts of their loved ones remain ongoing.

Some family members, including Abdulrahaman Bukar and Habiba Gwoza Mustapha, commended the ICRC for its continued guidance and support to families of missing persons.

They also appreciated the establishment of the Missing Persons Families Association, describing it as an important platform for mutual support among families dealing with the emotional and social consequences of disappearance.

The State Secretary of the Missing Persons Families Association, Joshua Audu, said the International Day of the Disappeared was not simply a day of remembrance but an opportunity to promote courage, solidarity and advocacy while renewing the commitment to finding missing persons.Audu said families continued to live with painful questions about the fate of their loved ones.

“Every day brings the same questions: Where is my beloved one? What happened to him or her? Are they alive? Will we ever know the truth? The uncertainty is often more painful than an answer,” he said.

He called on relevant authorities, humanitarian organisations and members of the public to support efforts to trace missing persons and provide information that could help families establish the fate and whereabouts of their relatives.

The International Day of the Disappeared serves as an opportunity to draw public attention to the plight of missing persons and their families, while encouraging greater cooperation in tracing people who disappeared during armed conflicts and humanitarian emergencies.

Despite years of uncertainty, families in the Northeast said they remained hopeful that sustained advocacy and concerted efforts by government and humanitarian organisations would eventually provide answers to those still searching for their loved ones.