IOM Says Banditry And Kidnapping Have Displaced Nearly 620,000 In North-West

Nearly 620,000 people have been displaced by banditry and kidnapping across Nigeria’s North-West, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

The figure represents about 84 per cent of 737,073 internally displaced persons recorded across assessed states in the region. IOM officials said insecurity remains the main reason people are leaving their homes, with climate-related shocks adding to the pressure on families.

Sharon Dimanche, IOM’s chief of mission in Nigeria, gave the figures in Katsina during a briefing on displacement and peace-building in the North-West.

She said Katsina alone recorded more than 138,000 people displaced by insecurity and natural disasters between January 2025 and January 2026. IOM also recorded nearly 147,000 returnees across the North-West, including more than 37,000 in Katsina.

The agency warned that return does not always mean people are safe or able to rebuild their lives. Many affected communities still face attacks, lost livelihoods, interrupted schooling and uncertainty over whether displaced families can remain in their home areas.

IOM said the number of displaced people across assessed North-West and North-Central states declined by nearly five per cent between October 2025 and February 2026, while the number of returnees rose by a similar margin.

Sources: Daily Trust, Punch