The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised the alarm over the rising scale of internal displacement in Nigeria.
The commission revealed that Benue remains one of the country’s most volatile displacement hotspots, contributing significantly to the 39,852 persons displaced across 11 states within six months.
The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr Tony Ojukwu, disclosed this in Abuja at a consultation forum on the protection of the rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs), organised in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The forum, themed “The Protection of IDPs in Nigeria Through Durable Solutions: Strengthening Collaboration Between Government, Civil Society Organisations, and Humanitarian Partners,” focused on deepening coordinated action for displacement-affected populations.
Ojukwu said current trends reflect a worsening humanitarian outlook across multiple states, with Benue standing out as a critical concern.
“Benue has remained one of Nigeria’s most troubled displacement flashpoints, out of 11 states with 39,852 displaced persons in six months,” he said.
The 11 affected states are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Cross River, Taraba, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, and Benue.
Ojukwu noted that the NHRC/UNHCR collaborative project continues to serve as a vital platform for documenting and analysing the human rights realities of IDPs, refugees, asylum seekers, and returnees.
Data presented by the Commission shows a sharp 58% increase in IDPs reached between February and September, driven by stronger field coordination and expanded monitoring across affected communities.
Ojukwu said the demographic spread paints a troubling picture, “From February to September, 72,119 females and 62,403 males were recorded, confirming the feminisation of displacement.
“Children remain the single largest demographic at 64,058 cumulatively, underscoring persistent vulnerability among minors.”
He added that the troubling data compelled the Commission to scale up interventions, with 2,452 human rights incidents recorded between August and September alone.
Ojukwu disclosed that 135,358 forcibly displaced persons were identified across the 11 project states, with 8,372 human rights violations documented.
“Access to Education (865 cases) and access to socio-economic rights, food and shelter with 1,283 cases represented the highest incident volumes, signalling a severe survival crisis,” he said.
According to him, Kano State recorded the highest number of violations in these categories.
Ojukwu said despite the work of Human Rights Monitors and Community Protection Action Groups (CPAGs), the systemic challenges persist.
He said, “The data shows our monitors are fulfilling their mandate, but they face structural obstacles. The need for deeper inter-agency coordination at state and local government levels is evident.”
Speaking on behalf of the UNHCR, Mr. Timothy Zadom said the engagement was timely and essential to ensuring that the rights of displaced persons remain protected.
“Forcibly displaced persons, whether internally displaced or refugees, are uniquely disadvantaged within our communal settings.
“Beyond the data and news headlines, we must delve deeper into what their lives really are like and what collective actions we can take to support their inclusion and protection,” Zadom said.
He stressed that displacement should not strip individuals of dignity, identity or belonging.
“Their experiences matter, and our shared expertise and recommendations must strengthen the work of the NHRC and the government, who are the primary duty bearers,” he said.
He commended the NHRC for its commitment and reaffirmed UNHCR’s continued support.
“We applaud the Commission for this bold undertaking of its mandate, and we remain committed to supporting its leadership and ownership of the process,” Zadom added.
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