ICC Note: Displaced Nigerians escaping from Boko Haram continue to live in fear from attack as many do not wish to return home. Assurances from the Nigerian military deeming previously dangerous locations safe is not enough for some to return. To date, Boko Haram has displaced 2.1 million from their homes with nearly 20,000 dead. Some have returned to their homes but they face the grim reality of rebuilding while continuing to live in fear of a resurgence in violence. Boko Haram is notorious for attacking and persecuting Christian communities through murder, kidnapping, and rape.
By Carl Stein
09/24/2015 Lagos, Nigeria (Voice of America)– The Boko Haram insurgency has sent millions of Nigerians fleeing from the northeast, and despite recent military successes against the group, many say they have no plans to return home.
The International Organization for Migration said Boko Haram’s six-year insurgency has displaced nearly 2.1 million people inside Nigeria. Nearly 20,000 people have died from the violence.
At its height last year, entire towns and villages in the northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa were emptying as the insurgents pushed out military forces.
