From Yarima Haruna, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State office of the National Commission for Refugee, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMIDP), alongside the National Orientation Agency (NOA), has called on Nigerians to halt stigmatisation against refugees and the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The call was made by North West Zonal Coordinator of the Commission, Alhaji Armiya’u Shuaibu, during the media parley held in Birnin Kebbi to commemorate the 2026 World Refugee Day (WRD).
Daily NewsCraft reports that the WRD is marked on June 20 in every year, the theme for this year’s event is: ‘Until everyone is safe’.
Speaking at the event, Shuaibu described refugees and displaced persons as victims of circumstances who deserves human face and absolute hospitality from their host communities, because they found themselves in a situation they did not bargain for.
”Today, we have renewed our call to the communities to give refugees and IDPs a sense of belonging because they are humans who became victims of natural disasters and/or victims of poor living conditions,” Shuaibu said.
Earlier in his speech, the Kebbi State Director of NOA, Alhaji Nasir Karofi, urged people of the state to amplify their voices against inhuman treatment of refugees and IDPs across the country, adding that no one is safe until everyone is safe.
”We should see refugees and IDPs as part of our community. To achieve that, we must give them that sense of belonging, and stop stigmatising them,” Karofi said.
Karofi commended the Governor of Kebbi State, Dr Nasir Idris, and his wife, Hajia Zainab Nasare Nasir Idris, for the enduring social safety nets being enjoyed by IDPs in the state.
Daily NewsCraft reports that Nigeria is home to over 3.5 million IDPs, driven from their homes primarily by armed conflict, banditry, and communal clashes.
While a large portion live in formal camps in the North East and North Central regions, the vast majority reside within local host communities.