Stakeholders Applaud ICRC For Efforts To Trace Over 24,000 Missing Persons in North East

Stakeholders applaud ICRC for efforts to trace over 24,000 missing persons in North East.

From Umar Dankano, Yola

Stakeholders have applauded the timely interventions been rendered to families of the disappeared or missing persons by the International Committee of the Red cross, ICRC in the North East and country at large.

This position was made public at this year’s (2024) International Day of the Disappeared ceremony organized by ICRC to commemorate with families of the missing or disappeared persons in Yola, Adamawa state capital Friday.

An official of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Morris Godfrey in a good will message expressed concerns with the plight of the families of the disappeared projecting the level of psychological trauma they are facing due the absence of their loved ones.

Mr.Godfrey told the families that most the humanitarian workers and their organisations are standing firm in solidarity with their predicament putting all hands on deck to ensuring that their human dignity and their quest for justice is achieved.

He however commended the efforts been rendering by ICRC in assisting humanity both technically, materially, socially and economically urging other humanitarian outfits to emulate.

Delivering his keynote address, Dr. Edgar Amos, the Chief of Staff to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri reiterated the commitment of the Adamawa state government in peace and security.

Amos while acknowledging the support and contributions given to government by humanitarian organisations with special emphasis to ICRC said the good gestures from ICRC are numerous which can only be appreciated by reciprocating with necessary cooperations as well.

Amos therefore, commiserated with the families of the missing persons assuring them that, all hope to reunite with their ones shouldn’t be lost urging the ICRC to share data with the state government for necessary and collaborative actions.

In her welcome address, Fatima Halilu, Deputy Head of Sub-Delegation, ICRC Mubi office decried that, hundred of thousands people are missing or separated from their families due to armed conflicts or other situations of violence, disasters, migration and many never return and are never heard from again.

Mrs Halilu stated that available record on ICRC’s  data base has shown that 24,000 persons have been registered missing as a result of armed conflicts ongoing in the North Eastern states.

Halilu noted that majority of the missing persons reported were children at the time of their disappearance and that despite prolonged years of searching by families, only a handful have been traced which represents a global humanitarian tragedy on a large scale.

“We want the families to know that they are not alone,that their loved ones are not forgotten, and that we, as ICRC together with our sister organisation,the Nigerian Red Cross Society will continue to do our utmost to help them obtain the answers and support they deserve”.Mrs Halilu pledged.

Collaborating in the same vein, Shuaibu Dauda, Branch Secretary of Nigerian Red Cross Society,NRCS in the state pleaded with the families to continue with their resilience and strength in the search of their loved ones as the tempo must be maintained until success is gotten.

Dauda lamented that by the IOM, 2022 survey records, Adamawa state has over 555,000 internally Displaced Persons forced to flee their homes as a result of violence and conflicts,a reflection of the anguish and uncertainty faced by these families.

Dauda said that, on his Organization’s part, already over 12,000 volunteers are working assiduously in area of awareness campaign on prevention and separation to displaced families across the state.

Mallama Sa’adiya Abubakar in her response on behalf of the families of the missing persons said the presence of all stakeholders to commiserate with them is a big relief to tell them,the world is with them in their grieve.

Abubakar extended gratitude to the ICRC and other partners working the clock to ensure their reunion with their loved ones maintaining that they forever