Nigeria: Violence in Maiduguri displaces thousands
| Publisher | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC) |
| Publication Date | 15 July 2011 |
| Cite as | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Nigeria: Violence in Maiduguri displaces thousands, 15 July 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e39462a2.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Thousands of people have fled the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri following fighting between the Boko Haram sect and the armed forces. The violence has killed more than 150 people since the beginning of the year. The Nigerian army has been trying to eradicate the Islamic Boko Haram sect since 2009. The group has carried out bomb attacks in Maiduguri and elsewhere in Borno Sate over the last years, but has also bombed targets in the capital, Abuja, in recent months.
Those displaced include immigrants from neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, who said they wanted to go back to their countries. Others leaving were students, as the university was closed following rumours that the group planned to attack the campus. However, the group denied threatening the university.
