The International Committee of the Red Cross in a statement said the number constituted the highest of missing persons registered with the organisation in any country.
It said some sixty per cent of the total were minors at the time they went missing, meaning that thousands of parents do not know where their children are and if they are alive or dead.
This is according to ICRC President PETER MAURER at the end of a five-day visit to Nigeria.
MAURER met with Nigerian President MUHAMMADU BUHARI, senior government officials, civil society and business leaders during the visit.
He also spoke with family members affected by conflict in the north-eastern cities of Maiduguri and Monguno, many of whom have missing relatives.
