17,000 missing persons: Families await answers in Nigeria – ICRC

By Hauwa A. Aliyu

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it is currently following up on about 17,000 missing-person cases in Nigeria, with families continuing to search for loved ones separated from them by conflict and other humanitarian crises.

Usman Kundili, Communications Officer of the ICRC, disclosed this during a two-day media roundtable on humanitarian reporting held in Lagos from Sept. 14 to 15.

The training, organised by the ICRC with support from the Nigerian Red Cross Society, brought together 25 journalists from different parts of the country to examine ways of improving media coverage of the human consequences of conflict and humanitarian emergencies.

Kundili said the missing-person cases reflected the often-hidden consequences of conflict, displacement and family separation, which continued to leave families searching for answers.

Aliyu Dawobe, Public Relations Officer of the ICRC, said more than 15 years of conflict in the North-East had left millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance.

Dawobe said the crisis had affected communities beyond the immediate consequences of violence, with many people facing trauma, sexual violence, family separation and difficulties accessing basic services.

He described the humanitarian situation as “very precarious” and urged journalists to ensure that people affected by the crisis were not lost in statistics.

“Figures are good to know, but we also need to know the people who are unable to access medication, food or reunite with their families,” he said.

Dawobe said humanitarian reporting should help audiences understand the impact of crises on individuals and families.

Professor Bala Muhammad of Bayero University, Kano, who facilitated a session at the training, urged journalists to place victims and survivors at the centre of conflict reporting.

Muhammad said journalists should look beyond perpetrators, attacks and incidents to examine the experiences of people living with the consequences of violence.

“You are humanity in the search for excellence as a journalist. You have to ensure that the human is the centre of your story,” he said.

He called for a shift in reporting approaches to give greater attention to victims and their experiences.

The training also covered humanitarian journalism, conflict reporting and International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

Participants examined how knowledge of IHL could strengthen reporting on armed conflict and the protection of civilians.

Dawobe encouraged journalists to deepen their understanding of IHL, saying greater awareness of the rules governing armed conflict among armed actors could help reduce harm to civilians.

He said journalists should continue to report not only incidents of violence but also the consequences for families searching for missing relatives, survivors coping with trauma and communities rebuilding their lives.