A staggering figure released by the Chairman of the House Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Alhaji Sani Zoro, confirmed that Nigeria currently has the highest number of IDPs in the world.
According to Zoro, the country as at December had 2.1 million IDPs as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in the north east geo-political zone.
Also, he said the country was yet to recover from the 2012 massive floods that ravaged some sections.
Zoro noted that, when the figures are combined from the two disasters, the tally amounted to over 4.5 million, the highest in the world.
He made the disclosure at the maiden convocation of the Federal University, Dutse in Jigawa State.
While condemning the plan to relocate the IDPs to their villages without adequate provision of security, shelter and other necessary amenities, he decried the present security arrangement in IDP camps across the country.
He noted: “We are also concerned that in the 21 camps where IDPs are located, it is absolutely clear that IDPs are in highly vulnerable conditions, as just last week IDPs were murdered in a fight at Maiduguri camp.
“The primary responsibility of protecting IDPs anywhere in the world lies with the state.
“Some IDP camps are not well protected and their (IDPs) protection is not guaranteed.”