FG clears air on alleged movement of IDPs to Southeast

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According to the Federal Government, recent media reports regarding the migration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) seeking vocational training and skills acquisition from northern Nigeria to the southeast were a “misrepresentation of information” given to the media during the visit.

Tijani Ahmed, the federal commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), made this statement on Wednesday in Abuja during a press briefing regarding the recent events. He claimed that the development has caused irate youth in Imo State to destroy both private and public property.

Under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Ahmed said, the agency’s “Skills to Wealth” plan aims to create a skills acquisition facility in each of the six geopolitical zones for the empowerment of individuals who are of concern, such as internally displaced people (IDPs), but not the transfer of IDPs from one region of the nation to another.

He claimed that one of the skills acquisition centres was to be located at the National Open University (NOUN) in Nsu Ehime Mbano, Imo State, and that the organisation had dispatched an inspection team there. However, “some unscrupulous individuals spread false information regarding the purpose of the visit and use of the facility,” claiming that it was meant to relocate internally displaced people from northern Nigeria to the Southeast, after it left after a media briefing.

“Displaced persons are found throughout Nigeria, including those affected by floods and other crises in places like Orlu, Njaba, and Orsu areas of Imo State. Our primary aim was to train, certify, and empower the vulnerable populations of Imo State and the Southeast with vital skills for self-reliance, with the potential to establish the centre as the regional headquarters for this initiative.

“In 2024 alone, the Commission facilitated the return of 4,550 stranded migrants, with no fewer than 30% of them originating from the Southeast. Additionally, the region hosts approximately 500 non-Nigerian nationals currently seeking asylum as refugees in Nigeria. This group belongs to the subset of the population referred to as persons of concern to the Commission,” he said.

The Commission added that of the more than six million persons displaced in Nigeria, a sizable portion live in the Southeast, where landslides, erosion, and other environmental degradations have forced entire villages to relocate.

Due to media “misrepresentation,” the Commission warned members of the fourth estate to avoid factual reporting and to understand issues before going to press. It stated that these individuals misunderstood the Commission’s objectives, which resulted in tension that ultimately led to the burning of several homes, including Senator Frank Ibezim’s, who facilitated the visit and accompanied my team and me.

“Let me reiterate that the primary goal of NCFRMI is to protect, assist, and maintain the welfare of refugees, migrants, and internally displaced persons in Nigeria. We work tirelessly to ensure that persons of concern—those displaced by conflicts, natural disasters, and other crises—are given the support they need to rebuild their lives, reintegrate into society, and contribute to the economic and social fabric of our country.

“We want to categorically state that the NCFRMI’s intervention in Imo State and the entire Southeast has no political motives, and it does not in any way intend to bring IDPs from the northern part of Nigeria to reside in the Southeast. The Commission equally wants to state that no money was given to any person or persons for the purpose of utilising the facility, as it belongs to the government.”

Because “these programs will benefit displaced persons, returnee migrants, refugees, and other vulnerable groups, irrespective of their political affiliation, ethnicity, or religious inclination within the Southeast region,” the Commission insisted that the proposed establishment of the skills acquisition centre is solely a humanitarian initiative intended to serve as a critical resource and provide training in areas like vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and capacity building.

The Commission in addition to denouncing the arson and attack on the National Open University in Nsu Ehime Mbano appealed to “all members of the affected community to remain calm and avoid any further acts of violence and destruction of their own assets, as they all belong to them. We must join hands to build a peaceful and progressive society for ourselves and future generations.”

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