FG Denies Plans to Relocate Insurgents and IDPs to Southeast

The Federal Government of Nigeria has categorically denied rumors regarding the relocation of repentant Boko Haram members and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the northern regions to the southeast. This clarification comes from Tijani Ahmed, the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

The statement followed an attack on the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) center in Ezeoko-Nsu, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, where arsonists set fire to the facility and the residence of former lawmaker Senator Frank Ibezim. The violence was reportedly sparked by a viral video alleging that the government intended to convert the NOUN center into a training ground for repentant insurgents.

Commissioner Ahmed clarified that his visit to Imo State last month was to assess the site for a proposed skills acquisition center aimed at training vulnerable populations, including returnee migrants, refugees, and youth from the five southeastern states. He emphasized that the initiative is part of a broader humanitarian effort to empower communities impacted by crises such as floods and communal conflicts.

“Our primary aim was to train, certify, and empower vulnerable populations in Imo State and the southeast with essential skills for self-reliance,” Ahmed stated. He noted that the NCFRMI plans to establish similar centers across all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria as part of its “Skills to Wealth” initiative.

Ahmed highlighted the pressing need for such programs in the southeast, where ecological challenges have displaced many communities. He revealed that in 2024 alone, the NCFRMI facilitated the return of over 4,550 stranded migrants, with a significant percentage originating from the region.

The Federal Commissioner reiterated that the skills acquisition center is intended to provide training in vocational skills and entrepreneurship to displaced persons and other vulnerable groups, regardless of their political, ethnic, or religious backgrounds.

Furthermore, the NCFRMI condemned the arson attack on the NOUN facility, expressing condolences to Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma and urging the community to remain calm amid the unrest. Ahmed reassured the public that the commission has no plans to relocate IDPs from northern Nigeria to the southeast, emphasizing that their interventions are purely humanitarian and devoid of political motives.