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Nigeria Ranks Third In Global IDPs, Says Ex UN Chief

By Bertram Nwannekanma
25 October 2015   |   4:07 am
Nigeria is now ranked third among countries with the highest Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), accounting for about 1.5 million out of 38 million persons displaced globally.
IDPS

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Nigeria is now ranked third among countries with the highest Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), accounting for about 1.5 million out of 38 million persons displaced globally.

A former United Nations (UN) war crimes prosecutor, Charles Adeogun-Phillip, disclosed this at the 13th anniversary and yearly lecture of a rights group, the Crusade for Justice (C4J), held in Lagos.

According to him, the figure could be higher but for lack of accurate data on their spread and gender.

He therefore called for an institution that would take the welfare of IDPs as its focal point, as well as, execute policies that would ameliorate the plight of those displaced from their homes.

“For instance, IDPs need adequate security and legal protection of their fundamental human rights. They need full rights and should not be discriminated against. The protection of the most vulnerable members of the society should be a given,” he added.

In his address, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Augustine Alegeh, (SAN), called for the enforcement of the rights of IDPs, including keeping them in habitable camps.

Alegeh, who chaired the event said, nearly all the camps habouring IDPs are in deplorable condition and need urgent attention.

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