From Solitude to Solidarity:Yobe Families of the Missing Find a Global Voice

For years, their silence was filled with a single,haunting question."Where are they?" But in a powerful gathering in Damaturu, the families of the missing transformed their isolated grief into a chorus of shared strength and resilience at the 2025 International Conference for Families of Missing Persons.

Organized by the ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the three-day event (November 11-13) did more than connect a local community to a global network via Zoom; it shattered the walls of loneliness that have confined countless families across Nigeria's northeast.

"We Are Not Alone Anymore",A Burden Lifted

For Mallam Ali M. Idriss from Buni-Yadi, the conference was a revelation."Before, I thought that those who lost their loved ones as a result of Boko Haram were few in number," he confessed."I used to think it was only in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. But here, I realized it is a worldwide issue."

This newfound perspective was a profound relief. In sharing their trauma, Mallam Ali and others found a unexpected solace. "We shared our difficulties, our pains... and we found some relief in hearing about others' experiences," he said, commending the ICRC for bridging the gap between isolated families.

Courage Forged in Loss: "We Must Stand Firm"

The stories shared were heart-wrenching,each a testament to a life interrupted. Zara Isa from Damaturu spoke of her brother, a fisherman who vanished in Baga."We lost him to insurgent activities."He left behind his wife, children, and an aged mother," she shared, her voice steadying with a newfound resolve.

The conference,she explained, became a wellspring of courage. "It gave us confidence, showing that losing our loved ones does not mean losing everything," Zara stated. 

"We have to stand firm and find work to do, especially since most of the missing were our breadwinners,"she revealed.

A Sister’s Plea After Five Years of Agony

No one understands this long-term anguish better than Ladi Drambi, whose sister was abducted on the road from Monguno to Maiduguri five years ago. Despite family warnings, her sister had gone to collect a savings contribution. "On her way back, she was met by Boko Haram," Ladi recounted, the pain of the memory fresh even now."We have kept searching, but we have not found her."

Transforming her personal tragedy into a public call to action, Ladi made an urgent appeal, "I'm calling on all who have lost family members to report the disappearance to the ICRC and the authorities. It is the first step toward action."

The 2025 conference ended, but its echo remains a powerful message that in unity, there is strength; in shared grief, there is healing; and in speaking out, there is hope for answers that have been too long in coming.