Abuja, Nigeria | September 9, 2025 — Security experts have raised fresh concerns over the safety of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across Nigeria, stressing the urgent need for enhanced intelligence gathering and tighter security around camps following recurring attacks by armed groups.
Speaking in separate interviews, security analysts and humanitarian stakeholders warned that IDP camps have increasingly become soft targets for insurgents and bandits, putting vulnerable populations — particularly women and children — at grave risk.
According to them, while military operations have recorded progress in pushing back terrorist networks, the lack of robust intelligence coordination and adequate camp security has left thousands exposed. “IDPs should not be made to flee violence only to face further threats in camps that are supposed to serve as safe havens,” one security consultant noted.
They urged the Federal Government, security agencies, and state authorities to strengthen surveillance, deploy community-based intelligence systems, and ensure closer collaboration with humanitarian actors. In addition, experts emphasized the importance of training camp guards, installing modern surveillance technologies, and ensuring quick response mechanisms in the event of threats.
Nigeria currently hosts millions of displaced persons across the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions, many of whom have been uprooted by terrorism, banditry, and communal clashes. Humanitarian groups insist that beyond food and shelter, protecting IDPs from further violence is central to restoring dignity and hope for those forced to abandon their homes.
