ICRC, Nigerian Red Cross Continue Tracing 17,000 Missing Persons Cases in Nigeria

The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), says it is currently handling about 17,000 active tracing cases of missing persons across Nigeria, following a comprehensive review of its records aimed at ensuring regular contact with affected families.

The update, released in July 2026, indicates a reduction from the nearly 24,000 cases the Red Cross Movement has worked on over the years. However, the organisations stressed that the lower figure does not mean fewer people are missing, but rather reflects the number of cases for which they are currently able to maintain active engagement with requesting families.

According to the Red Cross Movement, thousands of families in Nigeria remain separated from loved ones due to armed conflict, violence, disasters and migration, leaving many to endure years of uncertainty over the fate of missing relatives.

Globally, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Family Links Network had registered more than 227,000 missing persons cases by the end of 2025. The Movement noted that this represents only reported cases and does not reflect the total number of missing persons worldwide.

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In Nigeria, the NRCS and the ICRC have spent years supporting families through tracing services, including facilitating phone calls, Red Cross Messages, field visits, engagement with community leaders and collaboration with humanitarian partners to help restore family links or establish the whereabouts of missing persons.

As part of a recent review, the organisations carried out telephone calls, bulk SMS campaigns, door-to-door visits and consultations with community leaders to reconnect with families who had requested tracing services. While contact was successfully re-established with many families, others could not be reached after relocating, changing phone numbers or moving to areas affected by insecurity.

The organisations explained that maintaining communication with requesting families is essential for updating case information, sharing new developments and pursuing fresh leads. Where contact can no longer be maintained, active tracing cannot continue for those specific cases.

Despite the challenges, the NRCS and the ICRC reaffirmed their commitment to supporting families of missing persons and pursuing every humanitarian opportunity to clarify the fate and whereabouts of those still unaccounted for.

They encouraged families who have previously opened tracing requests to remain in contact by updating their contact details and sharing any new information that could assist ongoing investigations.

Families seeking updates or wishing to report new information can contact the Community Contact Centre on 0800 5000 4000 or visit the nearest office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS).

The organisations reiterated that every missing person represents a family still waiting for answers and pledged to continue restoring family links wherever possible.