Nearly 620,000 people have been displaced by armed banditry and kidnapping across the North-West, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said.

The figure represents about 84 per cent of the 737,073 internally displaced persons (IDPs) recorded across assessed states in the region, according to the organisation’s latest assessment.

The IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche, disclosed this in Katsina during a media briefing on displacement and peace-building in the North-West.

She said insecurity remained the major driver of displacement in the region, with armed banditry and kidnapping forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.

Dimanche said Katsina alone recorded more than 138,000 people displaced by insecurity and natural disasters between January 2025 and January 2026.

She said climate-related disasters were also contributing to displacement, with affected families losing livelihoods and facing disruptions to education, as well as fear and uncertainty.

The IOM chief said nearly 147,000 returnees had been recorded across the North-West, including more than 37,000 in Katsina.

She, however, warned that returning home did not necessarily mean that displaced persons had found lasting solutions to their plight.

“The real question is: Can they stay? Can they rebuild their lives? Can they feel safe again?” she asked.

Dimanche said the number of IDPs across assessed North-West and North-Central states declined by nearly five per cent between October 2025 and February 2026, while the number of returnees increased by a similar margin.

In his address, the IOM Head of Sub-office, North-West and Programme Manager, Katsina, Jean Nahesi, said the organisation’s partnership with the European Union through the FPI project was strengthening peace-building, early warning systems and community resilience in affected communities.

Nahesi called for sustained collaboration among governments, communities and development partners to address the root causes of displacement and create conditions for safe and durable returns. (Daily Trust)