N1.2tn Spent on IDPs by Govts, Donor Agencies – TheNigerialawyer

* British military trains NAF special forces

The International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said
weekend that the federal government and the international community
have so far expended N1.2 trillion on Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) in the North-east.

The Norwegian-based centre said the amount was spent on health,
housing and livelihoods of displaced persons.

This is coming as Nigerian troops mounted sustained onslaught
against terrorist groups, Boko Haram and the Islamic State for West
African Province (ISWAP) and rescued an octogenarian, three
children and women from insurgents.

Also, the British Military Advisory Training Team (BMATT) has
commenced the training of a fresh batch of 758 Nigerian Air Force
(NAF) Regiment and Air Provost personnel in Force Protection in
Complex Air-Ground Environment (FP-CAGE).

The month-long FPCAGE Course 9/2019, is being conducted by a
team of Royal Air Force (RAF) Regiment instructors at the Regiment
Training Centre (RTC), NAF Base, Kaduna.

The 2019 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) report
said N1.2 trillion was expended by the federal and state
governments of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa as well as the international
community on IDPs between January 2014 and December 2018.

“The highest financial burdens come from the impacts of internal
displacement on health, housing and livelihoods of displaced
persons,” it said .

The IDMC said on its website that the costs and losses
associated with security and education were secondary but still
significant.

The report said the figures assessed the cost and losses

associated with internal displacement and most direct
consequences on health, shelter, education, security and
livelihoods.

“The costs neither account for long term consequences

of internal displacement nor costs and losses incurred by host
communities or other affected groups.

“They should therefore be considered as underestimates of the
actual economic impact of internal displacements,” it said.

The organisation further highlighted options of evaluating the
economic impact associated with internal displacement’s harm to
health, education, housing, security and work.

On displacement impacts’ implications the report said: “they
compare the financial risk posed by internal displacement on
national economies with affected government’s ability to cope with
it.These different measures all point to the repercussion of
not

accounting for all IDPs in development and humanitarian
plans.”

The report further stated that the situation would lead to
“likely regress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other
global commitments”.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has sustained the tempo of the
ongoing counter insurgency operations in the North-east as it
dislodged insurgents and rescued women and children.

An update on the war against insurgency made available by the
Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col Aminu Iliyasu, said
troops of 26 Task Force Brigade embarked on a clearance patrol in
Dalu village within the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza Local Government
Area of Borno State following credible intelligence report on the
presence of some of the insurgents in the area.

He said following the confirmation of the presence of insurgents
in the area, troops engaged the terrorists and subdued them by
deploying superior fire power during the ensuing fire-fight.

“Subsequently, the troops proceeded to thoroughly clear the
village of the presence of the criminal insurgents.

“The clearance operation yielded good dividends as the troops
found and rescued an octogenarian, three women and four children
hitherto held captives by the criminal insurgents”.

He said “the rescued victims were promptly evacuated and
children among them were equally administered with polio
vaccination by a Nigerian Army medical team.

“Interestingly, no causality was recorded by own troops during
the commando operations. However, many of the Boko Haram criminal
elements were observed to have fled in disarray towards the summit
of Mandara Mountains with gunshot wounds”.

The update said the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General
Tukur Buratai, reassured the general public of the resolve of the
Nigerian Army to continue to execute its constitutional mandate
professionally and responsively for a better secured Nigeria.

“He also thanks all well-meaning Nigerians for their continued
support, goodwill and understanding towards officers and men of the
Nigerian Army as they sustain the conduct of various operations and
routine exercises nationwide.

Meanwhile, the British Military Advisory Training Team (BMATT)
has commenced the training of a fresh batch of 758 Nigerian Air
Force (NAF) Regiment and Air Provost personnel in Force Protection
in Complex Air-Ground Environment (FP-CAGE).

A NAF statement said the course was aimed at building additional
capacity to ensure the protection of NAF bases and assets as well
as other critical national aviation-related facilities, like
airports, with a view to further bridging the gap between air power
projection and air power protection.

“While undertaking an assessment of the ongoing training, the
Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command (AOC GTC), Air Vice
Marshal Idi Amin, who was received by the Commandant RTC, Group
Captain Isaac Subi, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the
training and urged the participants to make the most use of the
opportunity given to them for being selected for the course.

“He emphasised that, upon completing the course on December 6,
2019, they would be expected to add significant value to ongoing
internal security operations across the country”, it said.