By Atoyebi Nike
The National Human Rights Commission has reported a worsening internal displacement crisis in Nigeria, with Yobe and Benue states recording the highest numbers of internally displaced persons in mid-2025.
Presenting the Commission’s dashboard, NHRC Executive Secretary Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, said Yobe accounted for 2,047 displaced persons, while Benue recorded 1,850. He noted that a total of 9,290 IDPs were documented across 11 states, with children making up 82 per cent of those reached.
Ojukwu identified Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Cross River, Taraba, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara as states facing ongoing humanitarian challenges driven by conflict, insecurity, climate shocks and food insecurity, particularly affecting women and children.
He also disclosed that 215 asylum seekers were experiencing registration difficulties in Taraba and Cross River, alongside 583 refugees and 472 returnees, most of them children struggling to reintegrate into insecure communities.
According to the NHRC, over 1,800 human rights violations were recorded, including cases of denied food and shelter, restrictions on movement, gender based violence and barriers to education. Despite operational challenges, the Commission resolved hundreds of cases and conducted community outreaches and detention visits nationwide.
Ojukwu called on federal and state governments to domesticate the Kampala Convention, strengthen protection for returnees and children, and improve coordination in humanitarian response efforts.
