The International Organisation for Migration has disclosed that 737,073 people are internally displaced across Nigeria’s North-West, with about 620,000 of them, representing 84 per cent, displaced by armed banditry and kidnapping.
The IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche, disclosed this while speaking on the humanitarian and security situation in the region during a press conference organised by the organisation in Katsina on Friday.
Dimanche, who joined the media engagement virtually, said Katsina State alone had 180,938 internally displaced persons (IDPs), while neighbouring Zamfara had 261,995.
She added that IOM had recorded almost 147,000 returnees across the North-West, including more than 37,000 in Katsina.
However, she cautioned that the return of displaced persons should not automatically be regarded as a durable solution, stressing that returnees must be able to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
