Banditry, kidnapping displace 620,000 in North-West — IOM

Nearly 620,000 people have been displaced by banditry and kidnapping across Nigeria’s North-West, accounting for about 84 per cent of the 737,073 internally displaced persons recorded in assessed states in the region.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) disclosed this during a media briefing on displacement and peace-building in the North-West held in Katsina.

The IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche, said insecurity remained the leading cause of displacement in the region, with armed banditry and kidnapping forcing thousands of families to abandon their communities.

According to her, Katsina State alone recorded more than 138,000 people displaced by insecurity and natural disasters between January 2025 and January 2026.

Dimanche said climate-related disasters had also contributed to displacement, destroying livelihoods and disrupting access to education while leaving affected communities facing prolonged uncertainty.

She said the North-West had recorded nearly 147,000 returnees, including more than 37,000 in Katsina.

However, she cautioned that returning to an affected community did not automatically mean displaced people had achieved a durable solution.

“The real question is: Can they stay? Can they rebuild their lives? Can they feel safe again?” she asked.

Dimanche said the number of internally displaced persons across assessed North-West and North-Central states fell by nearly five per cent between October 2025 and February 2026, while the number of returnees increased by a similar proportion.

She stressed the need to ensure that returnees could safely rebuild their lives and regain access to livelihoods and essential services.

The IOM Head of Sub-office for the North-West and Programme Manager in Katsina, Jean Nahesi, said the organisation’s partnership with the European Union under the FPI project was supporting peace-building initiatives, early warning systems and community resilience.

Nahesi called for sustained cooperation among governments, communities and development partners to tackle the underlying causes of displacement and create conditions for safe and lasting returns.