More than 800,000 people on the run from Boko Haram in Nigeria

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) accuses Nigeria's government and its security forces of failing to protect the civilian population from the terror sect Boko Haram. "There are false promises of safety and impending territorial gains to stall and to deceive the civilian population," said Ulrich Delius, the STP's Africa-consultant, in Göttingen on Sunday. "There is a dramatic exodus going on in Northern Nigeria. People are on the run from the terror of Boko Haram and the counter-terror measures of the state's security forces and paramilitary militias. "In the last three days alone, Boko Haram killed at least 39 people in raids and a bomb attack – and more than 100 Nigerians died in the conflicts since the beginning of the week.

The High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 800,000 people are currently on the run from the violence. About 650,000 of them tried to find refuge in other parts of the country as internally displaced people. Officially, Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has so far only registered 116,000 people. More than 100,000 Nigerians and citizens of Niger living in Nigeria have sought refuge in neighboring Niger. 56,000 Nigerians fled to Cameroon and 2,700 tried to find refuge in Chad.

"The fact that the Islamists have now also conquered Chibok – from where Boko Haram had abducted 219 schoolgirls in April 2014 – is a disaster and an unprecedented humiliation of Nigeria's government," said Delius. A few weeks ago, President Jonathan Goodluck had promised the traumatized families that there would be increased measures of protection to keep them safe. He also announced that the hostages would be released soon. "Now, Boko Haram managed to humiliate Goodluck by showing the people how helpless and powerless he is."

There are no indications that Boko Haram might stop its terror. Thus, the sect killed a still unknown number of people on Saturday, during the invasion of the city Hong (Adamawa). On the same day, three people died in a terrorist attack in Manjakwa – and at least 30 people got killed when Boko Haram invaded Chibok last Thursday. Another six people got killed in a bomb attack on a gas station in the city of Kano (Kano State) on the same day. On Monday, 58 school pupils got killed in an attack on a boarding school.

Ulrich Delius, head of STP's Africa department, is available for further questions: +49 551 49906 27 or afrika@gfbv.de.

Header Photo: European Commission DG ECHO/Flickr