FG clears air on alleged movement of IDPs to Southeast

The Federal Government has said that recent media reports about the movement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the northern part of Nigeria to the Southeast for skills acquisition and vocational training were a ‘misrepresentation of information’ provided to the press during the visit.

Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Tijani Ahmed, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing the press on the development, which he said has led to the destruction of public and private property in Imo State by angry youth.

Ahmed explained that the agency’s ‘Skills to Wealth’ initiative, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, seeks to establish a skills acquisition centre in each of the six geopolitical zones for the empowerment of persons of concern, including migrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons, but not to move IDPs from one part of the country to another.

He said that the agency had sent its inspection team to the National Open University (NOUN) at Nsu Ehime Mbano, Imo State, where one of the skills acquisition centres was to be sited. But after its departure following a media briefing, “some unscrupulous individuals spread false information regarding the purpose of the visit and use of the facility,” alleging that it was intended to bring IDPs from the northern part of Nigeria to reside in the Southeast.

“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.

Further, the Commission said of the over six million people facing displacement in Nigeria, a significant number reside in the Southeast, where entire communities have been displaced due to ecological challenges such as erosion, landslides, and other forms of environmental degradation.

Cautioning members of the fourth estate on factual reporting and understanding issues before going to press, the Commission said due to media ‘misrepresentation’: “These individuals misunderstood the Commission’s objectives, leading to tension that culminated in the burning of several homes, including that of Senator Frank Ibezim, who facilitated the visit and accompanied my team and me.

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“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.”

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

While condemning the arson and attack on the National Open University in Nsu Ehime Mbano, the Commission also called for calm, appealing 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.”