Catholic Foundation Urges FG To Declare Banditry A Humanitarian Emergency

• The Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to officially declare banditry a humanitarian emergency to mobilise a more effective, coordinated response.

• Caritas representatives warned that current informal IDP settlements in the North-West lack basic infrastructure and protection, leaving women and children at risk of secondary abuse.

• The Foundation advocated for the North-West to receive a structured humanitarian response similar to the one implemented in the North-East, which would include properly managed, secure camps.

• New research presented at the workshop highlights that women in conflict-affected regions are not just victims, but are actively leading early warning efforts and building community support networks.

• FG Urged to Declare Banditry a Humanitarian Emergency

July 17 , () —The Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to declare banditry a humanitarian emergency. This designation would enable a coordinated national response to the growing displacement crisis currently affecting Nigeria’s North-West.

The Programme Officer for Good Governance at Caritas Nigeria, Mr Jude Akwo, made this appeal in Sokoto during a one-day Stakeholders’ Policy Dialogue and Research Dissemination Workshop focused on women, conflict, and peacebuilding.

Akwo explained that an official declaration would attract stronger intervention from both federal authorities and international humanitarian organisations. Such support would facilitate the establishment of properly managed camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in communities ravaged by banditry and terrorism.

According to Akwo, most IDP settlements in the region are currently informal, lacking basic infrastructure and security. This situation leaves displaced persons—particularly women and children—highly vulnerable to further abuse.

“The IDP camps are not formal; they are informal settlements. There are cases of secondary abuse in these camps. Women are often victims of sexual violence because the camps lack proper fencing, while many displaced families are forced to live in makeshift shelters and uncompleted buildings”, he stated.

He urged state governments in the affected areas to acknowledge the true scale of the humanitarian crisis caused by persistent insecurity.

“If governments believe they lack the resources to establish proper camps, they should first recognise that banditry and terrorism have created a humanitarian emergency”, Akwo argued.

“Once that is acknowledged, the type of coordinated humanitarian response implemented in the North-East can be replicated in the North-West. The response should be organised, strategic, and sustainable.”

He noted that the workshop was part of the Caritas Nigeria Good Governance Programme, which promotes peacebuilding, civic participation, and citizen-government engagement.

The dialogue also served to disseminate findings from a research project that examined the experiences of women affected by armed conflict across North-West states. Akwo explained that the study sought to challenge the perception of women solely as victims by highlighting their active contributions to conflict response and community resilience.

“We wanted to move beyond the narrative of female victimhood. Our findings show that women have played significant roles in early warning and early response mechanisms. They have developed community-based strategies to respond to conflict and have provided essential care for children and families whose relatives have been kidnapped”, he noted.

He noted that women have also organised community savings groups to support survivors and, in some cases, raise funds to secure the release of kidnapped relatives.

“These women have built support networks that care for survivors. Through village savings and loan groups, they contribute resources to assist affected families and, in some cases, even raise money to pay ransoms.

“Our findings show that women should be recognised as key actors in addressing banditry and insecurity. They have an important role to play in promoting peace, resolving conflicts, and supporting community recovery”, he concluded.