Over 24 000 lacking in Nigeria as mass abductions proceed – SABC Information

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says over 24 000 people have gone missing in Nigeria since 2015.

Many people in the country are calling on the government to tackle insecurity and ensure that the missing people are found. The ICRC in the report says more than half of the total cases were children at the time they went missing.

According to the ICRC’s regional director for Africa, the missing persons are predominantly from Nigeria’s northeastern states of Borno.

In Nigeria, the President Bola Tinubu-led government has directed security agencies in the country to identify and secure the release of missing persons and ensure they are reunited with their families.

Meanwhile, about 60 people have been abducted by criminal gangs across communities in northwest Nigeria. This comes after a similar incident occurred in the state of Zamfara, last Saturday, where about 70 people were abducted.

The latest incident occurred at night, when the attackers stormed the communities on motorcycles and took the victims away. Locals in the area say most of the abductees are women and children.

They say security personnel who arrived at the scene killed three of the abductors, but couldn’t prevent others from getting away with the hostages. Kidnappings in communities, especially in Nigeria’s northern region, are common.

The perpetrators forcefully take people away and then request ransom payments for their release, and it has become an enterprise for many.