from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – NINE people have been killed and 13 injured during ethnic and religious conflicts in northern Nigeria this month.
An estimated 1 507 individuals affected by the attacks have been forced to flee their homes.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) provided the figures, covering the period April 4 to 10.
Armed clashes and banditry characterised the period.
Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto states led with violations.
A total of 1 478 individuals were displaced in Sokoto and Kaduna.
Nigeria’s north-central and north-west zones are afflicted with a multidimensional crisis rooted in long-standing tensions between ethnic and religious groups.
Crises involve attacks by criminal groups and banditry such as kidnapping and grand robbery along major highways.
During the past years, the crisis has accelerated because of the intensification of attacks and has resulted in widespread displacement across the region.
Nigeria is Africa’s biggest nation by population at over 200 million, is among the most unstable.
The biggest of these crises over the years has been the Islamist Boko Haram sect.
– CAJ News