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The National Human Rights Commission dashboard for mid-2025 highlights significant internal displacement in Nigeria, with Yobe and Benue recording the highest numbers.
Presenting the dashboard, NHRC Executive Secretary Dr Tony Ojukwu, SAN, said Yobe led with 2,047 internally displaced persons, while Benue recorded 1,850, reflecting a broader North-East and North-Central crisis demanding urgent attention.
As reported by News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday, Ojukwu also noted that Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Cross River, Taraba, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara were states showing ongoing humanitarian challenges from conflict, particularly affecting women and children.
“The total number of recorded IDPs is 9,290, with Yobe at 2,047 and Benue at 1,850 amid herder attacks, insurgent raids, and destroyed infrastructure, which have negatively impacted livelihoods.
“These 9,290 IDPs cut across 11 states, with children comprising 82 per cent of those reached,” he said.
He added that there were also 215 asylum seekers facing difficulties in registration in Taraba and Cross River states, and 583 refugees, mostly in the same areas.
Ojukwu was represented by the Director, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Department, Mr Harry Obe.
He said there were also 472 returnees, 81 per cent of whom were children struggling with reintegration in insecure areas.
Ojukwu noted that since early this year, the UNHCR-backed project has reached over 15,000 additional individuals and reported a 58 per cent surge in violations against children, signalling worsening vulnerabilities from violence, climate shocks, and food insecurity.
“Over 1,800 human rights violations emerged as top concerns: 530 cases of denied food and shelter in Benue, Taraba, and Kano; 278 restrictions on freedom of movement tied to insecurity in Yobe; 195 incidents of gender-based violence; and 324 barriers to education threatening a generation in Kano and Taraba.
“However, NHRC field teams resolved 372 cases, referred 1,157 to agencies, conducted 104 detention visits reaching 326 detainees, and held 331 community outreaches for 6,551 people on GBV prevention and rights reporting,” Ojukwu said.
He decried persistent challenges faced by monitors, including transport shortages, data costs, and security risks, while commending their resilience and UNHCR’s support amid budgetary strains.
He called on the federal and state governments to domesticate the Kampala Convention, integrate NHRC data into humanitarian plans, and bolster security for returnees.
Ojukwu reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to data-driven protection for Nigeria’s 6.7 million displaced persons and urged strengthened inter-agency coordination at federal, state, and local levels to scale up child protection services.
He also stressed the need to address GBV survivor needs, close documentation gaps for asylum seekers, and enhance detention oversight, pledging the Commission’s commitment to refining data quality, referral pathways, and community-based monitoring to transform displacement “from despair to dignity.”
Presenting the dashboard’s graphic data, Head of Human Rights Monitoring, Dr Benedict Agu, lamented the hardships faced by IDPs, including poor nutrition, healthcare, and other socio-economic challenges.
He said his team conducted awareness programmes and interviews to thoroughly interrogate the issues for better human rights and humanitarian protection.
The NHRC’s October dashboard presentation marks the fourth edition since its inception.
(NAN)
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