Stephen Angbulu
The number of Internally Displaced Persons in the Northwest geopolitical zone surged by 143,189 persons in six months, a 22 per cent increase, The PUNCH reports.
According to the latest data obtained by our correspondent from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the surge is driven largely by a more than doubling of the IDP count in Sokoto State from December 2025 to May 2026.
Published in late May 2026, the UNHCR Nigeria Forcibly Displaced Populations dashboard shows that the Northwest’s IDP population stood at 793,534, up from 650,345 recorded in the December 2025 dashboard.
The data dashboards are produced jointly by the UNHCR and the Federal Government through the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.
It draws on registration records, biometric enrolment data and field assessments conducted across hosting states.
The Nigeria Immigration Service, the International Organisation for Migration and the Displacement Tracking Matrix also contribute data to the dashboard.
Sokoto State recorded the largest increase in its IDP population, which climbed from 88,562 in February 2026 to 181,526 in March, an increase of 92,964 persons, representing a 105 per cent jump.
Zamfara State, one of the worst-hit states by banditry, added 74,648 IDPs over the same period, bringing the total from 204,576 to 279,224, a 36.5 per cent increase.
Together, the two states account for the bulk of the IDP surge in the Northwest.
The UNHCR dashboard shows that the total number of IDPs nationwide as of May 2026 stands at 3,711,314.
It said Nigeria accounts for 3.5 per cent of the world’s 117 million forcibly displaced persons.
Banditry and communal violence in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states have disrupted agricultural production, markets and access to basic services and have displaced nearly 1.4 million people, 80 per cent of whom reside in host communities.
However, the data revealed that the IDP population in Katsina state did not increase.
Historically one of the hardest-hit states in the region, its IDP population dropped from 235,898 to 206,071 IDPs, a reduction of 29,827 persons or 12.6 per cent.
In Kaduna, the number of displaced persons rose by 4,653 over the period, from 110,813 to 115,466.
The figures for Nigerian refugees from the Northwest registered in neighbouring Niger Republic also grew from 258,359 in December 2025 to 268,967 in May 2026, an increase of 10,608 persons crossing the border.
By February 2025, more than 580,000 people, the majority of whom are women, had been forced to flee their homes across the three Northwestern states of Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara due to insecurity.
The growing displacement follows intensifying violence in the region.
In the first half of 2025, at least 2,266 people were killed by insurgents or bandits, surpassing the total number of casualties for all of 2024.
A broader count covering two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration showed that at least 10,217 people were killed in attacks by armed groups in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
In 2025, Lakurawa, a new armed group with cross-border operations into Niger and Mali, further compounded the security challenge in the Northwest and North Central.
On July 1, 2025, militants believed to be members of the Lakurawa group, affiliated with the Islamic State Sahel Province, launched a raid on Kwallajiya in the Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing between 15 and 17 people as many were preparing for afternoon prayers.
On April 23 and 24, 2026, bandits attacked communities of Kurfan Danya, Faransi and Mai Zogo in Zamfara State’s Ruwan Jema Ward of Bukkuyum Local Government Area, and in Keta, Tsafe Local Government Area.
The Federal Government, through the Northwest Governors’ Forum and with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme, officially launched State-Level Adoption of the National Policy on IDPs and corresponding State Action Plans on Durable Solutions for Katsina and Zamfara on February 16, 2026.
The IOM also expanded its humanitarian programme beyond the Northeast to include Northwest states, specifically Katsina and Zamfara, to address underserved areas.
At the time of filing this report, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, could not be reached for a reaction as calls and a text message sent to his mobile line went unanswered.
In his third-anniversary address to Nigerians on Friday, May 29, the President acknowledged that security challenges persisted and insisted that progress was being made in various parts of the country.
He argued, “Our Armed Forces and security agencies have intensified operations against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, oil thieves, and criminal networks. While challenges remain, many communities and highways are becoming safer and more economically active.
“I want to assure you that this government will not relent until every Nigerian can live, work, travel, and dream in safety.”
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