In the last 10 years, an estimated six million Nigerians have fled
their homes for fear of extermination, abduction, and other forms of treatments
by the Boko Haram group in Nigeria, a recent report has revealed.
The report, titled, ‘Managing Internal Displacement
Crisis in Nigeria: Toward Global Best Practices in Guaranteeing the Rights of
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through the Media’, was published
by Journalists for Christ with support from the World Association for Christian
Communication (WACC) and the Waldensian Church’s Otto Per Mille.
The research, which is a follow –up of an
earlier project titled, ‘Monitoring Media Reportage and Portrayal of
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Cases studies of Nigeria, Democratic
Republic of Congo and Kenya’, stated that in the Northeast alone, the
decade-long attacks by the group have displaced over 1.8 million people.
According to the study, the Internally
Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) estimates the total number of IDPs in the
country between January and December 2018 to be above two million with Borno
State alone accounting for 1.4 million of that figure.
The report said about 2, 000 new IDPs in the
first half of 2019 were displaced by a natural disasters, namely flooding,
while violent conflicts were responsible for more than 140, 000 cases within
the same period.
IDPs in over 80 camps and camp-like locations
are reported to be made up of an estimated 53 to 54 per cent women, 46 to 47
per cent men while 56 per cent are said to be children compared to adults that
make up 44 per cent.
The report said only a sizeable number of IDPs
conservatively estimated to be over 2.5 million are living within the camps.
A large population of IDPs, according to the
report, may continue to pose daunting challenges for the country due to
unresolved conflicts over resources, most especially, land making reference to
the frequency of clashes over cattle grazing as well as other land-related
volatile disputes across communities.
The study also identified the proliferation of
small arms and light weapons (SALWs) as critical factors associated with high
propensity of deepening violent conflicts with potential for displacement of
the population.
The group said the proliferation of SALWs in
the country has led to a growing number of private armies with a heighten tempo
of armed violence orchestrated by inter-ethnic militancy as well as worsening
criminalities by armed gangs.
“There are strong indications that violent communal
conflicts and forced displacements will continue unless the proliferation of
SALWs is curtailed. There is a growing concern that the population of IDPs in
the country may continue to pose management challenges if deadly conflicts
heighten, considering the mixed bags of militia groups with access to SALWs to
prosecute grievance against targeted enemies and as a form of rebellion against
the Nigerian State,” the report said.
The group said though the camps remain the
only source of immediate succour for victims of communal related violence,
virtually all of them are inadequate with basic facilities to make life
meaningful for the victims.
Beyond serving as makeshift shelters, survival
in these camps has become a nightmare for most IDPs due to acute shortfall in
provisions of basic amenities and household essentials worsened by poor
management of available resources, corruption, and human rights abuse, it was
revealed in the report, which also examined other issues on the crisis of
internal displacement in Nigeria, underling factors triggering forced
displaced, the dilemma of prolonging conflicts and insecurity.
It focused on lack of robust institutions and
structures for emergency response and the failure of the existing management
system to protect the rights of displaced citizens and ensure the dignity of
IDPs, as well as, explored global best practices in relation to international
instruments of the United Nations (UN) and regional treaties.
The report showed global best practices in the
management of IDPs as an expression of the rights and privileges recognised and
guaranteed by international and regional statutes to which Nigeria is a
signatory.
The study revealed that the UN Guiding
Principles on IDPs, the Kampala Convention on the rights of IDPs and the
International Humanitarian Law are some of the statutes that underline best
practices that the country should strengthen to guarantee the rights and
dignity of IDPs as citizens.
It also stressed the need to strengthen
legislative and institutional frameworks with a commitment to enforcing global
best practices in line with international standards to ensure greater sense of
responsibility and accountability amongst actors concerned with the management
of IDPs in the country.
It also underlined the need for the
legislative and institutional framework to consider prioritising the compelling
need for rehabilitation and resettlement of IDPs and to guarantee livelihoods
as well as freedom of any form of inhibition to the expression of the rights of
IDPs to be part of the decisions leading to voluntary and safe return to their
homes.
The study proffered action plans for the
media, civil society groups, ministries, and international partners. Among
other things, it urged the media to prioritise support for journalists to
encourage investigation and reporting of IDPs, highlights reports on the state
of hygiene, sanitation, and the conditions of inmates; underlines legislative
and institutional gaps requiring the attention of institutions of democracy and
political functionaries.
The report charged the civil society groups to
demand improved transparency of public accountability of funds allocated or
donated for the management of IDPs, while urging the Federal Ministry of
Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHDSD) to
undertake the task of ensuring credible national database for IDPs in the
country and collaborate with stakeholders to develop the template for a
credible national database.
The study advised international partners to
work closely with the country non-state actors to improve the management of
IDPs, put pressure, and task the Nigerian government to account on abuses of
IDPs by security agencies, and prioritise funding of empowerment programmes and
provision of support items such as start-up kits to sustain livelihoods.
While handing copies of the report over to
Acting Editor of The Guardian, Mr. Alabi Williams, a member of Journalists for
Christ, Gbenga Oshinaike, said the group in an international outreach operating
for 22 years that comprises Christian journalists. He said the report is about
managing internal displacement in the country and create awareness on how the
crisis camps could be managed.
Another member, Harrison Edobor, urged the
media to amplify their reports on the plights of IDPs.
He also urged the Federal Government to come
up with frameworks to help make laws that would safeguard the rights of IDPs so
that they could be reintegrated into the society. He hoped the report would put
the government on her toes to take responsibility to cater to displaced
citizens within the country.
--The Guardian
--The Guardian
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