The International Committee for the Red Cross, ICRC, had alleged that over 25,000 Nigerians were missing as a result of armed conflict in the country.
Some Nigerians have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the increasing number of missing persons in Nigeria.
The call was contained in a petition started on the global change website, Change.org, by an activist, Ebun Alaka-Coker.
The International Committee for the Red Cross, ICRC, had alleged that over 25,000 Nigerians were missing as a result of armed conflict in the country.
Head of ICRC Nigeria Delegation, Yann Bonzon had said behind every missing person is a family and people that are left with the anguish of not knowing the fate or whereabouts of a loved one.
“In Nigeria, we know that there are at least 25,000 people missing, the vast majority in relation to conflict in the Northeast.
“These are the number of cases that have been registered with the ICRC and Nigerian Red Cross Society. We know that this number is likely just the tip of the iceberg.”
Bonzon added that what this number also represented was many thousands of people – thousands more than the number of people missing themselves – who are impacted by that absence.
“In fact, we know that at least 13,000 families in Nigeria are seeking missing loved ones. It is out of concern for them – for those who are missing and their families that we are here today,” Bonzon added.
The petition domiciled on the Change.org platform read, “Stop the Nigerian government from ignoring the missing persons problem.
According to Leonard Blazeby, the ICRC’s head of programme and prevention, 25,000 out of 64,000 missing persons reported are from Nigeria.
“These numbers are both embarrassing and disheartening on a national and global level.
According to Alaka-Coker, the disregard displayed by the Nigerian national government, through the lack of investigation or provisions for investigations into missing persons’ reports is in direct breach of human rights.
“The Right to Life of the citizens of Nigeria must be respected. Reports of missing people should be taken seriously.
“Sign this petition to ask the appropriate Nigerian government agency to create and maintain a National missing persons list as a commitment to acknowledging the problem and investigation of missing persons reports as a national security issue,” the petition reads.