Why North-East is not safe yet for return of IDPs— UN

                 By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA—The United Nations has warned Federal Government against returning internally displacedpersons, IDPs, in the North-East to their homeland, saying the area was not safe.

   Bama IDP Camp: Children at                                  Bama IDPCamp in Maiduguri during Minister’s Tour of Bama .

  Photoby Gbemiga Olamikan.

   Giving the warning, yesterday, in Abuja at the Lake Chad Basin Regional Protection Dialogue for the victims ofBoko Haraminsurgency, the United Nations High Commission forRefugees, UNHCR, said the insurgency and its spill over to Cameroon, Niger and Chadhad led to loss of thousands of lives and caused massive displacement of over 2.7 million people.

  UNHCR Regional Representative for West Africa and Regional Coordinator for the Nigeria Situation, Ms. Liz Ahua, who gave the warning, said about 60 percent of the affectedpopulations were children and that about 20,000 unaccompanied children have been displaced by the conflict.

  She said: “We note that there are returns that are taking place even right now. But I simply would want tounderscore that the conditions are not fully ripe yet because we still have persistent threats fromBoko Haram, presence of mines, unexploded improvised devices, IEDs, and absence of some basic services.“All of these mean acute humanitarian and protection risks forthe population.

   We have visited these areas and we know precisely what we are saying.”Earlier, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Bassey Akpanyung, noted the importance of the regional dialogue, especially as aresult of the progress the country and other members of the Lake ChadBasin Commission had made in the fight against insurgency.