Insurgency: 1,385,298 displaced in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba

No fewer than 1,385,298 persons have been displaced, following insurgency and communal clashes in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba states.

This is based on the June Displacement Tracking Matrix report released by the International Organisation for Migration, in conjunction with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The agency's Director of Press Affairs, Mr. Sani Datti, said the report showed that Borno had the highest number of internally-displaced persons (IDPs), with 1,002,688, followed by Yobe, 125,484 and Adamawa, 113,437.

He said Bauchi had 76,504, Gombe, 16,984 and Taraba, 20,501.

The report indicated that there was a slight decrease in the number of IDPs compared to the last report released in April, due to the movements of return observed on the ground, most especially in Adamawa State where the IDPs population had decreased. In Borno State, the IDPs population has increased since April, reaching over a million.

Datti said 92 per cent of the IDPs lived with host communities and eight per cent lived in camps or camp-like sites.

The survey shows that 52 per cent of the IDP population are women and 48 per cent, men. Children of less than 18 constitute 56 per cent of the IDP population and more than half of them are five years old or younger.

The NEMA director of press affairs said the report highlighted that 95 per cent of the displacement was due to insurgency. Five per cent were forced to leave their place of origin because of communal clashes.