Zamfara attack displaces 484 as North-west IDP population nears 800,000, IOM

An attack by armed bandits in Zamfara State has forced 484 people, including 271 children, to flee their homes. This displacement is part of a growing humanitarian crisis in Nigeria's North-west, where the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is approaching 800,000, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

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The attack displaced 484 people from 101 households and forms part of a broader humanitarian crisis that has forced more than 143,189 people from their homes across Nigeria’s North-west between December 2025 and June 2026. The cumulative number of internally displaced persons in the region now stands at about 794,018.

The figures, detailed in an IOM Flash Report released on June 19, stem from a rapid assessment of an attack on Gamo Gidan Bita in Gummi Local Government Area on June 15. Residents sought refuge in neighboring areas after the assault. The IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) was activated to assess the humanitarian impact and aid response planning.

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Children accounted for more than half of those displaced. Of the 484 displaced persons, 271 were children, while 129 were women and 84 were men.

The assessment revealed that the attack displaced 484 individuals from 101 households. This incident is symptomatic of a larger crisis that has uprooted over 143,189 people in the North-west between December 2025 and June 2026, bringing the total IDP population in the region to approximately 794,018. Children constitute more than half of those displaced, with girls aged six to 12 and infants under one year being particularly affected. The attack also resulted in three deaths and two injuries.

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The attack also left five casualties, comprising three deaths and two injuries.

Women and children bear the brunt of the violence, accounting for about 60% of those displaced. The IOM identified urgent needs including emergency food assistance, temporary shelter, and essential non-food items for every affected household. The ongoing insecurity, marked by repeated attacks from armed groups, continues to displace communities across the North-west. Zamfara alone accounted for 279,224 IDPs as of early 2026, an increase of 74,648 from the previous period. Attacks in neighboring Katsina State also displaced thousands recently. The insecurity has further pushed over 8,500 Nigerians to seek refuge in Niger, Cameroon, and Chad.

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Women and children bear the heaviest burden