News
Red Cross Declares Over 1,500 People Missing In A Nigerian State
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it is following up on more than 1,500 cases of missing persons in Yobe State, as families continue to live with uncertainty over the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.
The Head of the ICRC Sub-Delegation in Damaturu, Syed Rashid Hassan, disclosed this on Thursday at an event organised to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Disappeared in Damaturu.
Hassan said the figure was part of more than 17,000 missing-person cases being followed up by the ICRC in Nigeria, adding that more than half of those reported missing were children at the time of their disappearance.
He said the figures likely represented only a fraction of the total number of people reported missing across the country.
According to him, more than 513,000 people worldwide were registered as missing with the Family Links Network of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement by the end of 2025.
He described missing persons as one of the most devastating and long-lasting consequences of armed conflict and other situations of violence, disasters and migration.
“The issue of missing people is one of the most devastating and long-lasting consequences of armed conflict and other situations of violence, disasters and migration,” he said.
Hassan said the consequences of disappearance went beyond the missing individuals, as families were left with emotional, economic, legal, administrative, psychological and psychosocial challenges.
He said the ICRC had adopted a holistic approach to supporting affected families, working with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, government authorities and other stakeholders.
He said the organisation was working to prevent family separation and people going missing, reunite families, clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, protect the dignity of the dead and improve systems for documenting unidentified bodies.
He disclosed that the ICRC launched an accompaniment programme in Damaturu to help families cope with the psychological and psychosocial effects of the disappearance of their loved ones.
“Today, many families are still living in uncertainty, causing agony and unspeakable suffering,” Hassan said, adding that more than 50 families had so far been supported through the programme.
The ICRC official called for stronger and sustained efforts to search for missing persons and provide answers to their families.
He also called for stronger national legal and institutional frameworks, including medico-legal systems, mechanisms to determine what happened to missing persons and support systems to address the economic and legal needs of affected families.
Hassan commended the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Ministry of Justice’s Justice Sector Reform Team, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education through the Yobe State Universal Basic Education Board (YBSUBEB), as well as community leaders, for supporting efforts to address the plight of missing persons and their families.
He said SEMA had supported the implementation of a national mass-fatality response plan in the state, while the Justice Sector Reform Team was reviewing the coroner’s law.
He also said YBSUBEB had accepted to incorporate key messages on prevention of family separation into activities in primary schools.
Speaking on behalf of families of missing persons, the Chairman of the Families of the Missing, Ali Idris, said families continued to live between hope and uncertainty while waiting for answers about their loved ones.
Idris said the absence of answers affected their emotional wellbeing, livelihoods and family relationships, making it difficult for many to move forward.
He expressed appreciation to the ICRC for supporting families through tracing efforts, family reunification and its accompaniment programme, including mental health and psychosocial support sessions.
He also appreciated traditional, religious and community leaders, as well as government ministries and agencies, for supporting efforts to address the issue.
However, Idris appealed to authorities to open their doors to families of missing persons and provide stronger and more coordinated support.
“Our needs go beyond finding our missing loved ones. Yes, we need answers. We need continued efforts to search for and clarify the fate and whereabouts of those who are missing.
“But we also need support for the families who have been left behind,” he said.
He said families faced emotional distress, economic hardship, legal and administrative challenges and difficulties in accessing documentation following the disappearance of their loved ones.
The International Day of the Disappeared is commemorated annually on August 30 to honour missing persons and stand in solidarity with their families.
News
Court Arraigns Journalist In Benue
A Benue State High Court, presided over by Justice Mary Abounu, has arraigned the Benue State correspondent of Aljazirah Newspaper, Henry Ibya, in Makurdi over alleged cyberstang.
The trial judge had sought the prosecution’s response to the defendant’s argument that the journalist was reliable and should be granted bail.
The absence of the prosecution counsel in court did not stop the proceedings, as the defendant’s counsel, Tom Uja, Esq., notified the court of his bail application for his client.
He stated that the prosecution had taken the journalist to two other courts in the state on the same charge and that his client had never failed to appear in court whenever required.
Although the prosecutor’s absence did not affect the judge’s decision to proceed and grant bail, which was also believed to be in the interest of justice, the matter was adjourned until November 5, 2026.
One Terna Abuul, said to be the Director of ICT at Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, reported Henry Ibya to the Nigeria Police Force, Benue State Command.
The director had accused the journalist of allegedly reporting mismanagement in the institution’s ICT department.
According to Abuul, Ibya’s report accused him of wrongdoing.
On the strength of the said report, the journalist was arraigned before the High Court in Makurdi.
News
64 Dead, 80 Injured As Two High-Speed Trains Collide
At least 64 people have been killed and dozens seriously injured after two high-speed trains collided near Urda, south of Madrid, in one of Spain’s deadliest rail disasters in more than a decade.
The Castilla-La Mancha regional government confirmed the death toll as emergency crews continued rescue operations at the crash site. More than 500 passengers were travelling on the two trains involved, according to a regional government spokesperson.
The BBC reports that the collision of the two trains involved a Renfe high-speed train and an Iryo service operating on the Madrid-to-Seville route. Aerial images analysed by the broadcaster showed parts of the Renfe train leaving the tracks, while carriages of the Iryo train also derailed.
The cause of the collision had not been officially confirmed. However, Spanish media cited preliminary accounts suggesting that the Renfe train struck the Iryo service, which may have been stationary following a problem on the tracks.
The scale of the disaster prompted a major emergency response involving ambulances, helicopters, rescue teams and police officers. At least 80 people were reported injured, with about 50 believed to be in serious condition and 15 in critical condition, according to regional officials.
Several victims were transported to hospitals in nearby areas, while others were taken to Madrid for treatment. Hospitals in Toledo, Ciudad Real and Alcázar de San Juan reportedly suspended planned surgeries to accommodate casualties from the crash.
Blood transfusion centres in Madrid and Toledo also appealed for urgent donations to meet a possible surge in demand.
Survivors described scenes of panic and severe destruction. One passenger, Sebastián Herrero, told Spanish newspaper El Mundo that he felt a powerful impact that threw him into the seats ahead. He said injured passengers had broken noses and arms, while smoke spread through the carriages.
Another passenger, Iñaki, told El País that the impact sent him rolling across the floor. After escaping, he saw injured people and bodies around the wreckage.
BBC Verify also examined images and videos appearing to show a section of railway track piercing through a Renfe carriage, with approximately 10 metres of rail protruding through its roof.
The disaster has revived concerns about railway safety in Spain, which suffered another deadly high-speed rail accident near Córdoba in which 46 people died. The country’s previous worst rail disaster occurred in July 2013, when 80 people were killed in a derailment near Santiago de Compostela.
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, said he was shocked by the crash and remained in contact with the transport minister. The Spanish royal family also expressed condolences to victims’ relatives and praised emergency workers.
Meanwhile, the Royal Spanish Football Federation postponed 24 Copa del Rey matches in solidarity with the victims, while most political parties suspended campaign activities.
Rescue and recovery operations continued as authorities worked to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collision.
News
Police Arrest Suspected Eiye Cultist, Recover Two Pistols, Cartridges In Ogun
Operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Squad of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 26-year-old suspected cultist and recovered two locally made pistols, three live cartridges and a battle axe in the Atan area of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Council of the state.
The suspect, identified as Okiki Muhammed Adewusi, popularly known as “Baba Obo”, was arrested in the Ore area of Atan on October 26, 2026, following intelligence received by operatives of SWAT Base 7, Abule Iroko, Sango-Ota.
The Police Spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the arrest in a statement in Abeokuta yesterday.
According to Babaseyi, a search of the suspect’s residence after his arrest led to the recovery of a locally made pistol and three live cartridges.
He added that preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had allegedly admitted to being a member of the Eiye Confraternity.
Babaseyi said information obtained from the suspect led to a follow-up operation at about 6.30 a.m. on October 27, 2026 during which operatives recovered a second locally made pistol and a battle axe from a separate location.
The recovered items have been secured as exhibits, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other suspects believed to be involved in the activities and recover additional weapons.
The police spokesperson said investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the case.
The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the SWAT operatives for their vigilance, professionalism and effective use of intelligence.
Ojajuni reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks, curbing cult-related activities and tackling the illegal possession of firearms across the state.
He urged residents to provide timely and credible information about suspected criminal activities, assuring them that the Command would act on actionable intelligence to protect lives and property and maintain public safety.
-
Health & Wellness1 year agoPresident Tinubu Directs Cut in Dialysis Cost from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000
-
News2 years ago
CBN Debunks Fake Circular on New ₦5,000 and ₦10,000 Notes
-
Business7 months agoDangote Refinery Reduces Petrol Gantry Price To ₦1,200 Per Litre
-
International News7 months agoIndian Police Arrest Nigerian Over ₦290m Drug Haul
-
Business7 months agoAfter Plea Bargain, Court Discharges Stella Oduah of ₦2.5bn Fraud
-
Business2 years ago
Dangote; We Did Not Fix ₦600/Litre Petrol Price
-
Opinion2 years agoChampioning the People’s Voice: Obasa’s Dedication to Grassroots Representation By Dave Agboola⁰
-
Trending News1 year agoNELFUND Disburses ₦86bn To 449,000 Beneficiaries
