Support
By Nabilu Balarabe
Damaturu, Aug. 28, 2026 (NAN) The Co-Imam of Three-Bedroom Jummaat Mosque, Damaturu, Sheikh Samaila Adamu, has urged Muslims to support families of missing persons.
Adamu made the call during the Juma’at prayer sermon in Damaturu on Friday, as part of activities to mark the 2026 International Day of the Disappeared on Aug. 30.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the day is set aside by governments and development partners to identify and honor missing persons and stand in solidarity with their families.
Human disappearance is a devastating and long-lasting consequence of armed conflicts, disasters and migration.
The cleric said families of missing persons often lived in uncertainty, agony, unspeakable suffering and economic hardship.
He noted that failure by governments and citizens to address the trauma, economic hardship and legal challenges faced by families of missing persons could disrupt the fabric of communities and impede social and economic progress.
Adamu also advised managements of motor parks to ensure that every passenger boarding a vehicle completed the passenger manifest.
“Filling the manifest booklet should be compulsory, and anyone who refuses to do so should not be entertained.
“This will go a long way in helping families to identify the whereabouts of individuals or groups in case of eventualities,” the cleric said.
On voluntary disappearance, Adamu warned against abandonment of families, describing it as not only an offence but also a major sin prohibited in Islam.
“Those doing this must remember that abandonment is a prohibited act in Islam, as it subjects families and loved ones to emotional trauma and economic hardship,” he said.
NAN reports that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had earlier organised a media roundtable and stakeholders’ meeting in the state to commemorate missing persons.
Highlights of the commemoration included a photo exhibition featuring missing persons, designed to give visibility to individuals whose whereabouts remained unknown and highlight the struggles of their families in their endless search.
The ICRC said photographs, shoes, clothes and other personal belongings often became important symbols for families because they preserved memories, identity and a tangible connection to missing loved ones.(NAN)
NB/HS
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Edited by Halima sheji
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