1. General description of the security situation in Nigeria
1.6 Impact of the violence on the civilian population
1.6.4 Displacement and return
1.6.4.1 Displacement figures
According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), conflict and violence in 2019 led to 248 000 new displacements across 19 states, of which 105 000 were triggered by the ongoing insurgency in the north-east, 88 000 by criminal violence in the north-west and north-central states, and 55 000 by communal violence in the central region.573
Human Rights Watch described the humanitarian crisis in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe as ‘among the world’s most severe’, with 1.8 million people displaced ‘as a result of the 10 year insurgency by Boko Haram’.574 In July 2020 ACAPS described ‘a new humanitarian crisis’
emerging in the north-west states of Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, and Kebbi, as well as in Niger state (North-Central Region).575 It described shooting and killing, cattle rustling, kidnapping, rape, torching of entire villages, and looting of valuables which by June 2020 had internally displaced over 247 000 people and produced around 60 000 refugees.576 In September 2020 Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that outside of the North-East Region of Nigeria, the states hosting the highest numbers of IDPs are those found in North-Central (Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa), North-East (Adamawa, Taraba), and North-West (Kaduna) Regions.577
IOM-DTM data showed that 87 % of the IDPs in North West and North Central Regions were displaced within their state of origin, 13 % were displaced from a different state.578 Of the IDPs in North East Region, 89 % were displaced within their state of origin. 579
IOM provided the following infographics (see Figure 8 below)580 depicting the total number of IDPs in the North-East Region of Nigeria using November 2020 figures, recorded at 2 150 243 assessed IDPs in total:
Figure 8 Total number and percentage of IDPs in North-East Nigeria as of November 2020 © IOM-DTM581
573 IDMC, Nigeria Country Information, n.d., url
574 HRW, Nigeria: Army Restrictions Stifling Aid Efforts, 4 March 2020, url, p. 1
575 ACAPS, Nigeria: Banditry violence and displacement in the Northwest, 24 July 2020, url
576 ACAPS, Nigeria: Banditry violence and displacement in the Northwest, 24 July 2020, url, pp. 1-2
577 MSF, “When I think about going home, I remind myself that a live dog is better than a dead lion”, 1 September 2020, url
578 IOM Nigeria, DTM North Central and North West Zones, Displacement Report 5 (January 2021), 8 March 2021, url
579 IOM-DTM, Baseline Dashboard, North East Round 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url, p. 7
580 IOM, Nigeria displacement data visualization, Nov 2020, n.d., url
581 IOM, Nigeria displacement data visualization, Nov 2020, n.d., url
IOM provided the following maps (see Map 6 below) indicating IDPs in the North-East Region of Nigeria only, by site type and state as well as location of IDPs by local government area as of December 2020.582
Map 5 IDPs by site type and state and IDP presence at LGA level as of December 2020 © IOM-DTM583
According to UNHCR, as of end February 2021, there were 306 400 Nigerian refugees (mostly displaced by the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon), of whom 56.1 % resided in Niger, 38.6 % in Cameroon and 5.3 % in Chad.584 Nigeria was also host to 66 220 refugees as of end February 2021.585 As of December 2020, 2 150 243 IDPs were registered in North East Region, of which 1 683 044 in Borno state alone. As of January 2021, 419 457 IDPs were registered in the North West Region while 309 231 were in North Central Region.In the three southern regions are no IDPs registered.586 303 963 Nigerian refugees were registered in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger as of March 2021.587 Nigeria was also host to 71 529 refugees and asylum seekers as of March 2021.588
1.6.4.2 Drivers of displacement
IDMC considers that the drivers of displacement in Nigeria are multi-faceted, complex and often overlap.589 Boko Haram has triggered displacement in the North-East Region, tensions between farmers and herders in the Central Region has generated ‘significant levels’ of violence and displacement and ethnic/inter-communal conflict between Fulani pastoralists and Hausa farmers in north-western Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states also forces people to flee.590 Floods across Nigeria also displace thousands every year.591
582 IOM-DTM, Baseline Dashboard, North East Round 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url
583 IOM-DTM, Baseline Dashboard, North East Round 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url, p. 7
584 UNHCR Nigeria data, Nigerian refugees in Chad, Cameroon and Niger, last updated 28 February 2021, url
585 UNHCR Nigeria data, All refugees, last updated 28 February 2021, url
586 UNHCR Nigeria: All Population Snapshot March 2021, 14 April 2021, url
587 UNHCR Nigeria: All Population Snapshot March 2021, 14 April 2021, url
588 UNHCR Nigeria: All Population Snapshot March 2021, 14 April 2021, url
589 IDMC, Nigeria Country Information, n.d., url
590 IDMC, Nigeria Country Information, n.d., url
591 IDMC, Nigeria Country Information, n.d., url
According to the UN Secretary-General reporting in 2019 and 2020, ‘multiple attacks’ by non-state armed groups generated new forced displacement, primarily attributed to Boko Haram’s activities.592 In February 2020 Human Rights Watch documented that the Nigerian military burned and forcibly displaced entire villages in response to Boko Haram activities, arguing that the acts should be investigated as possible war crimes.593
In September 2020 MSF reported that the states of Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba, host IDPs forced to flee the ‘farmer-herdsmen’ conflict.594 For example, in Benue state, intercommunal violence resulting from disputes over land for grazing and farming escalated into
‘shocking violence’, forcibly displacing thousands.595
In March 2021 UNHCR expressed alarm at ‘surging violence’ in the North West Region which has fuelled the displacement of over 7 600 refugees into neighbouring Niger’s Maradi region in 2021 thus far, taking the total to 77 000 Nigerian refugees in the region.596 The refugees have ‘fled relentless attacks in Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states’597, including ‘atrocities’ and ‘extreme violence’, most of which attributed to armed gangs that ‘rob, loot, rape and kill’.598 Furthermore, UNHCR noted that refugees have described ‘gruesome murders, kidnappings for ransom, and looted villages’, with many affected by clashes between farmers and herders as well as vigilantism.599
IOM provided the following infographic (see Figure 9 below)600 depicting the reason for displacement by states in the north-east of Nigeria using November 2020 figures, recorded at 2 144 135 assessed IDPs:
Figure 9 Reasons for displacement by states in the north-east of Nigeria © IOM-DTM601
592 UN Security Council, Conflict-related sexual violence; Report of the Secretary-General [S/2019/280], 29 March 2019 url, para. 118
UN Security Council, Activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Report of the Secretary-General, 24 June 2020, url, para. 34; UN Security Council, Children and armed conflict in Nigeria, Report of the Secretary-General, 6 July 2020, url, para. 8
593 AI, Nigeria: Military razes villages as Boko Haram attacks escalate, 14 February 2020, url
594 MSF, “When I think about going home, I remind myself that a live dog is better than a dead lion”, 1 September 2020, url
595 MSF, Working with displaced people in Benue state, Nigeria, 16 October 2019, url
596 UNHCR, Surging violence in Nigeria drives displacement to Niger, 2 March 2021, url
597 UNHCR, Surging violence in Nigeria drives displacement to Niger, 2 March 2021, url
598 UNHCR, More than 30,000 refugees flee violence in northwestern Nigeria in last two months alone, 26 June 2020, url
599 UNHCR, Surging violence in Nigeria drives displacement to Niger, 2 March 2021, url
600 IOM, Nigeria displacement data visualization, Nov 2020, n.d., url
601 IOM, Nigeria displacement data visualization, Nov 2020, n.d., url
1.6.4.3 Displacement of women and children
According to IOM data collected in November 2020 from six states in the north-east – ‘the most affected by the conflict’ and consisting of the following states: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, 2 150 243 IDPs were recorded, of which 53 % were women and 57 % under 18 years old.602 In 2020 the UN Secretary-General noted that Boko Haram triggered displacement and a need for humanitarian assistance, noting that ‘in this context, women and girls face a heightened risk of conflict-related sexual violence, including abduction, rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage.’603 MSF described female headed-households and accompanied as ‘especially vulnerable’ groups of IDPs who have immediate protection needs when they arrive in camps.604
UNOCHA explained ‘Women and girls are under threat of sexual or gender-based violence and abduction, for example when venturing outside the trenches that surround many IDP camps to collect firewood or work agricultural fields, though also within IDP camps.’605 Furthermore, UNOCHA considered that displacement and returns ‘impose high risk’ on separated and unaccompanied children.606 Boys and, to a lesser extent, girls are at risk of forcible recruitment by armed groups or perceived association with armed groups.607
1.6.4.4 Secondary displacement
An August 2019 IDMC report which interviewed 345 Nigerian IDPs and returning refugees noted that many had been displaced more than once.608 IOM reported that based on December 2020 data609, of IDPs living in camps in the North-East Region of Nigeria, 59 % of respondents were displaced once, 32 % were displaced two times, 7 % three times and 2 % were displaced four times. 73 % of IDPs living with host communities said that they were displaced once, 22 % two times, 4 % three times and 1 % said they were displaced four times.610 IDPs living in host communities or on private land risk eviction with reportedly 36 % of IDPs facing land or property challenges.611 In 2020 around 72 000 IDPs reported that they risked being evicted.612
1.6.4.5 Attacks on IDPs
UNOCHA explained that since mid-2019, the Nigerian Armed Forces have had a strategy of concentrating their troops in what are known as ‘super camps’ and IDP camps within ‘garrison towns’
which it considers ‘have affected security and protection for IDPs or other civilians outside of these areas’.613 This reportedly makes them vulnerable to attacks targeting military forces.614 According to International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) data, non-state armed groups perpetrated 33 attacks on IDP camps in Borno from January-October 2020, killing over 20 civilians and injuring a further 31, looted food and property.615 According to UN OCHA, ‘some of the most brutal and direct attacks targeting civilian populations were recorded in November and December [2020], including against internally displaced persons (IDPs) and aid workers or humanitarian assets.’ Amongst others, schools
602 IOM-DTM, Baseline Dashboard, North East Round 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url, p. 5
603 UN Security Council, Conflict-related sexual violence; Report of the Secretary-General, 2020, url, para. 70
604 MSF, Children in displacement camps need immediate protection, 13 August 2019, url
605 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Nigeria, March 2021, url, p. 21
606 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Nigeria, March 2021, url, p. 21
607 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Nigeria, March 2021, url, p. 21
608 IDMC, “ONCE THE ROAD IS SAFE” Displacement and return in north-eastern Nigeria, August 2019, url, p. 5
609 A sample of 117 998 persons, representing 5.5 % of the recorded IDP population in the six most conflict-affected states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe were interviewed.
610 IOM, Nigeria — Displacement Report 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url, p. 9
611 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Nigeria, March 2021, url, p. 37
612 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Nigeria, March 2021, url, p. 37
613 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Nigeria, March 2021, url, p. 6
614 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Nigeria, March 2021, url, p. 2
615 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Nigeria, March 2021, url, p. 21
and health facilities were targeted, farms destroyed and farmers killed. This is directly impacting the
‘rapidly deteriorating’ food security situation for 5.1 million people across the BAY (Borno, Adamawa, Yobe) states.616
1.6.4.6 Returnees
IOM detailed that out of the total number of 1 742 907 returnees as of December 2020, 1 596 959 were classified as IDP returnees and 145 948 were classified as returned refugees.617 IOM indicated that 71 % of the entire return population were women and children (below the age of 12).618 IOM indicated that 52 % of the returnees in North East Region returned within their states of origin, 40 returned from other states, and 8 fled to neighbouring countries before return.619 IOM provided the following maps (see Map 7 below) indicating returnees by states in the North-East Region as well as food security in site of return as of December 2020. 620
Map 6 Returnees by state and food security in areas of return (c) IOM-DTM621
IOM noted that it does not collect any return data in the North-West and North-Central Regions.622 An August 2019 IDMC report which interviewed 345 Nigerian IDPs and returning refugees noted that
‘due to destruction of homes and ongoing insecurity, many refugees return to live among IDPs.’623 Human Rights Watch (HRW) described that in August 2020 authorities in Borno state announced their intention to return 1 860 000 IDPs and refugees back to their communities ‘despite ongoing safety
616 UN OCHA, Nigeria, Situation Report, Last updated: 4 February 2021, url
617 IOM, Nigeria — Displacement Report 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url, p. 17. Note: DTM Nigeria collects and reports on IDPs who have returned to their place of habitual residence prior to displacement and which have been captured during DTM return assessments. Furthermore, DTM in Nigeria reports only on returns within the BAY states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe as well as spontaneous returns from neighboring countrie
618 IOM, Nigeria — Displacement Report 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url, p. 17
619 IOM-DTM, Baseline Dashboard, North East Round 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url, p. 5
620 IOM-DTM, Baseline Dashboard, North East Round 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url
621 IOM-DTM, Baseline Dashboard, North East Round 35 (December 2020), 11 March 2021, url, p. 5
622 Regional IOM-DTM officer, exchange with EASO, 23 April 2021. DTM Nigeria collects and reports on IDPs who have returned to their place of habitual residence prior to displacement and which have been captured during DTM return assessments. Furthermore, DTM in Nigeria reports only on returns within the BAY states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe as well as spontaneous returns from neighboring countries.
623 IDMC, “ONCE THE ROAD IS SAFE” Displacement and return in north-eastern Nigeria, August 2019, url, p. 5
concerns’.624 Just over two weeks after IDPs were returned to Kukawa Local Government Area, Boko Haram attacked and abducted at least 100 people.625 HRW noted that ‘the government continued to participate in forced returns of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon.’626
UNOCHA detailed that few ‘return-intention’ surveys of IDPs were conducted in 2020 but of those completed, whilst IDPs were in theory willing to return to their areas of origin, they were ‘very concerned about insecurity, lack of essential services, destroyed or deteriorated housing, and probable hardships in restarting livelihoods’.627
624 HRW, World Report 2021 – Nigeria, 13 January 2021, url
625 HRW, World Report 2021 – Nigeria, 13 January 2021, url
626 HRW, World Report 2021 – Nigeria, 13 January 2021, url. See also: Foreign Policy, Cameroon Used to Welcome Refugees.
Now It Forcibly Expels Them, 12 February 2019, url.
627 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Nigeria, March 2021, url, p. 7