President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday lamented that the number of Internally Displaced Persons in the country and the conditions in their camps across the country are frightening.
He regretted that majority of the IDPs are women and children, most of whom are orphans.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while receiving the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Samantha Power, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Adesina quoted the President as telling his guest that his administration had commenced the process of getting comprehensive data on IDPs and Nigerian refugees with a view to speeding up their resettlement.
Buhari said the compilation of reliable data on the IDPs and refugees was being handled by designated Federal Government agencies, the military and other security agencies.
He said, “We have frightening indices of the number of people and the situation in the IDP camps across the country. And in spite of the government’s efforts and the hospitality of individuals and organizations, the situation needs better handling.
“A large segment of the IDPs are mostly women and children. Some of the children are orphaned and don’t know where they came from.
“Now we are working on getting a comprehensive data of all the people in the camps so that the government and NGOs will be properly briefed on where and how to support them.”
The President said IDPs, who were into farming before they were displaced by the Boko Haram, would be mobilised and assisted by the Ministry of Agriculture to return to their farms.
Power commended the Federal Government for always being the first and highest responder to the IDPs in various camps in the country.
The envoy, who had earlier visited Nigerian refugees in Cameroun, said the situation in the camps could be improved with more information on the number of people in the camps and their areas of need.
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