Benue State University, Makurdi

An Examination of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as a framework for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria

Inori Comfort Oga*, Ukooh David Ikoni** and Aondofa Aligba*

Abstract

Internal displacement is the great tragedy of our time. Internal displacement has become a burning issue in Nigeria as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency, farmer-herder conflict, kidnapping for ransom, incessant killings and abductions across the Country. This has necessitated the need to examine the rights of internally displaced persons within the constitutional provision. The research found that apart from the fact that the rights of IDPs in Nigeria cannot be found in any singular piece of legislation, there are no specific rights for IDPs in Nigeria except the civil and political rights in chapter II of the constitution which are not justiciable. The paper therefore made some recommendations including re-enactment of the Kampala Convention as an Act of National Assembly and amendment of the constitution to make rights contained in chapter II justiciable, among others.

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