11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Police restricts the constitutionally provided freedom of movement in areas of ethnoreligious violence occasionally ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23718]

"The constitution and law provide for freedom of movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and while the government generally respected these rights, police occasionally restricted freedom of movement by enforcing curfews in areas experiencing ethnoreligious violence. Security and law enforcement officials continued to use excessive force at checkpoints and roadblocks and engaged in extortion and violence. On some stretches of road police maintained checkpoints every few miles."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Law enforcement agencies used roadblocks and checkpoints ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19741]

"The constitution and law provide for these rights [Freedom of Movement within the Country, Foreign Travel, Emigration, and Repatriation], and while the government generally respected them, police occasionally restricted freedom of movement by enforcing curfews in areas experiencing ethnoreligious violence. Law enforcement agencies used roadblocks and checkpoints to search for criminals and to prevent persons traveling from areas of conflict to other parts of the country where their presence might instigate retaliatory violence. There were no reports that government officials restricted mass movements of individuals fleeing ethnic unrest. Security and law enforcement officials continued to use excessive force at checkpoints and roadblocks and engaged in extortion and violence (see sections 1.a. and 1.d.). On some stretches of road police maintained checkpoints every few kilometers."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Freedom of movement within the country, emigration and repatriation ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46036],  [ID 17287]

"The law provides for these rights, and while the government generally respected them police occasionally restricted freedom of movement by enforcing curfews in areas experiencing ethno-religious violence. Law enforcement agencies used roadblocks and checkpoints to search for criminals and to prevent persons traveling from areas of conflict to other parts of the country where their presence might instigate retaliatory violence. There were no reports that government officials restricted mass movements of individuals fleeing ethnic unrest. Security and law enforcement officials continued to use excessive force at checkpoints and roadblocks and engage in extortion and violence (see section 1.a.). The law prohibits the expulsion of citizens, and the government did not use forced exile. Ismaila Gwarzo, national security advisor to former president Abacha, remained restricted to his hometown in Kano State at year's end."

Document(s): Open document

02.01.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Some 800,000 people have been displaced from their homes as a result of communal and religious clashes over the past four years ("800,000 internally displaced across country - refugee agency") [#18388],  [ID 15347]

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Since 2001, almost 750,000 people have been displaced because of violence in various areas of Nigeria ("Country Report - October 2003") [#17332],  [ID 15348]

"6.44 The Constitution entitles citizens to move freely throughout the country, and to reside where they wish. In general, the Government respected this right, but the police occasionally restricted this right by setting up roadblocks and checkpoints where security and law enforcement officials routinely engaged in extortion, violence, and excessive use of force. One of the reasons for the use of roadblocks and checkpoints is to search for criminals and to prevent the transport of bodies from areas of ethnic or religious conflict to other parts of the country where their presence might instigate retaliatory violence. However, there were no reports of government officials restricting mass movements of individuals fleeing ethnic or religious unrest.

6.45 Since 2001, an estimated 750,000 people have been displaced because of violence in various areas of Nigeria. Religious, ethnic or tribal differences are often the cause of this violence. This has lead to a cycle of violence as one group seeks to take action against another, often in areas quite distant from that of the original fighting. This can result in one mass displacement of people, being rapidly followed by another into what are seen as safe areas. The Nigerian Government has taken action to assist those displaced, and has tried to mediate between groups in conflict, but the scale of the problem means that it lacks the resources to fully address this.

6.46 The Constitution also prohibits the denial of exit or entry to any citizen, and the Government generally respected this law; however, the law also provides that women are required to obtain permission from a male family member before having an application for a passport processed. Some men take their wives and children's passports and other identification documents with them while travelling abroad to prevent their family from leaving the country."

Document(s): Open document

19.07.2002 - Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (formerly Global IDP Project)

Norwegian Refugee Council – Global IDP Project: Protection and subsistence needs of IDPs (""Profile of internal displacement: Nigeria"") [#7908],  [ID 15350]

"Protection and subsistence needs

The physical security of the displaced has in some cases been undermined by government authorities. It has been reported that IDPs have experienced restricted freedom of movement during their flight by roadblocks set up by the police, or because of proximity of military attacks to civilian communities. Moreover, affiliation between officials and certain ethnic groups has sometimes led to reprisal attacks against other ethnicities. Authorities have in some cases used force to make IDPs leave camps and return to their home areas. For example, in July 2001 the police in Nassarawa State used force to make people leave an IDP camp of 3,000 (Ibeanu 1998, pp.51-52; NGO (anonymous) 14 August 2001).

The extended family system has been crucial in covering the subsistence needs of displaced. However, this resource has been over-stretched. Furthermore, the special needs of women and children are often not taken into full consideration, with men tending to control relief items. Also, food needs are often aggravated because of the destruction of crops.

Response

Humanitarian assistance is mainly provided by national actors, with federal state governments donating money and relief supplies to the affected areas. The Nigerian Red Cross/International Committee of the Red Cross is an important assistance provider. A typical pattern of humanitarian assistance was demonstrated during the Nasarawa crisis in July 2001, where the ICRC/NRCS assisted 7000 IDPs in Benue State with non-food items, while the local and federal government provided food, shelter and health care (ICRC 16 August 2001).

Assistance to the displaced by the UN system is limited to some input from UNICEF. It carried out assessments of IDP camps in Benue State and Lafia during the crisis in Nasarawa and Taraba States in July and August 2001 and implemented assistance activities after the Lagos clashes in February 2002. Some NGOs are also providing aid to Nigeria's internally displaced, like the Catholic Relief Services and Medicins Sans Frontières."

Document(s): Open document

26.04.2002 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

UNHCR-Position on internal flight alternative ("Stellungnahme an den Unabhängigen Bundesasylsenat: Nigeria- Innerstaatliche Fluchtalternative") [#6678],  [ID 15351]

Document(s): hcr-ngr0402-ifa.pdf

04.03.2002 - Source: US Department of State

USDOS: Constitution provides for freedom of movement, although it is limited in practice ("Annual report 2001") [#5760],  [ID 15349]

"The Constitution provides for these rights, and in general, the Government respected these rights; however, police occasionally restricted freedom of movement by setting up roadblocks and checkpoints and enforcing curfews in areas with ethno-religious violence. For example, in October a dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed in Makurdi and Gboko, Benue State, following ethno-religious violence in the region. Roadblocks and checkpoints routinely are used by law enforcement agencies to search for criminals and to prevent the transport of bodies from areas of conflict to other parts of the country where their presence might instigate retaliatory violence. Security and law enforcement officials continued to use excessive force at checkpoints and roadblocks and engage in extortion and violence (see Sections 1.a. and 1.c.). Unlike in the previous year, there were no reports of government officials restricting mass movements of individuals fleeing ethnic unrest."

Document(s): Open document