The United Nations describes Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as “persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights, or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized border.” These persons are at a very high risk of physical attack, sexual assault, and abduction and frequently deprived of adequate shelter, food, and health services.
In the North-West, in the last 15 years, thousands of people have been displaced from their rural communities as a result of the activities of bandits who destroyed their farms and villages, and killed many breadwinners. These displaced persons have been left to their fate without any serious government support. They are found on the streets of bigger cities, making their abode close to the highway, and survive by begging for food.
A recent report by the Daily Trust on Saturday highlighted the pathetic conditions of these displaced persons in Zamfara State, who now live like a flock of sheep without a shepherd. The story in Zamfara State is similar to that of displaced persons in Sokoto, Katsina, and Kaduna states. And away from the North West region, we have a similar case in Niger State, where many have also been displaced due to the activities of criminals.
Unfortunately, the governments of the affected states have played the ostrich by not acknowledging that they indeed have a problem. In many societies where wars and conflicts have displaced citizens, the government has the responsibility of providing shelter and a means of survival for the displaced. However, the governors have ignored the suffering of those displaced by bandits, perhaps in order to evade the responsibility of catering for them or to continuously paint a false picture that all is well in their respective states.
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The United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) is unequivocal about those who take responsibility for displaced persons. It states clearly that “as a crucial element of sovereignty, it is the governments of the states where internally displaced persons are found that have the primary responsibility for their assistance and protection. The international community’s role is complementary.” The national and sub-national state governments must take responsibility for providing for displaced persons in their territory.
If necessary, the government could appeal to the international community for support. There is no room for pretense about the existence of displaced persons in any sovereign country.
There are guiding principles established by the United Nations on how displaced persons must be treated. Principles 10-23 state clearly that: “Once persons have been displaced, they retain a broad range of economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights, including the right to basic humanitarian assistance (such as food, medicine, shelter), the right to be protected from physical violence, the right to education, freedom of movement, and residence, as well as political rights such as the right to participate in public affairs and the right to participate in economic activities. Displaced persons also have the right to assistance from competent authorities in voluntary, dignified, and safe return, resettlement, or local integration, including help in recovering lost property and possessions.”
Apart from the United Nations Conventions, the Nigerian Constitution is explicit about the fact that the government must provide security for its citizens. We, therefore, call on the governments of the North West to halt the current denial that there are displaced persons in the geopolitical zone and assume the responsibility of catering to these Nigerians. It is unacceptable for those affected by the failure of the government to defend its territory to live by the roadside, wander from street to street, soliciting for what to eat, or fall ill without medical attention. The governments must take steps to support them, including working with community leaders to ensure local residents are able to take in displaced families with them.
They can also build houses similar to those majority of the residents live in which are cheaper to build and can create jobs. The governments should also come up with a special programme for families now led by females because the male breadwinners have been killed. For both social and economic reasons, children from these families are usually the most vulnerable. So it is important that they are cared for.
The federal government must also intervene in this situation. The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management should work with similar institutions in states to ensure that shelter and food are provided for IDPs in the North West. If there are no laws for the maintenance of IDPs in the North West, members of the Houses of Assembly must enact the necessary legislation to accommodate the reality of displaced persons in the states.
There should be budgetary allocations for catering to displaced Nigerians. The young ones among them should be enrolled in educational institutions to ensure they continue their studies. If they are abandoned to their fate, without education and other forms of care, the young displaced persons could be recruited into banditry and other crimes.
Already, the region and the nation are battling a lot in that regard. Therefore, all efforts must be made to avoid such situation. The state governments must take responsibility for their residents now.
