Country of origin information report Nigeria March 2021 Error! Unknown d t Country of origin information report | March 2021 Publication details Location The Hague Prepared by Country of Origin Information Reports Section (DAF/AB) Disclaimer: The Dutch version of this report is leading. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands cannot be held accountable for misinterpretations based on the English version of the report. Error! Unknown d t Country of origin information report Nigeria, March 2021 Error! Unknown d t Country of origin information report | March 2021 Contents Publication details ............................................................................................2 Contents ........................................................................................................5 Introduction ....................................................................................................8 1 Political and security situation .................................................................... 9 1.1 Political developments ......................................................................................9 1.1.1 Elections ........................................................................................................9 1.1.2 #EndSARS protests ....................................................................................... 11 1.2 The security situation ..................................................................................... 12 1.2.1 General overview of the security situation during the reporting period.................. 12 1.2.2 North-East zone (Bauchi, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe and Yobe) ................ 14 1.2.3 North-Central zone (Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Na(s)sarawa, Kwara and FCT) ... 19 1.2.4 North-West zone (Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano and Jigawa) .... 22 1.2.5 South-East zone (Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia and Anambra) ................................. 25 1.2.6 South-South zone (Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Rivers, Cross River and Delta) ........ 28 1.2.7 South-West zone (Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Lagos and Ogun) ............................... 32 1.3 Freedom of movement ................................................................................... 32 2 Identity, nationality and documents .......................................................... 34 2.1 Introduction of national identification obligation ................................................ 34 2.1.1 Procedure for registration for a National Identity Number (NIN) .......................... 34 2.1.2 Progress with the introduction of the National Identity Management System ......... 35 2.1.3 Registration of the Nigerian diaspora for an NIN ................................................ 36 2.1.4 Application for and issuance of identity cards .................................................... 36 2.1.5 Enforcement of identification obligation ............................................................ 36 2.2 Other identity documents ............................................................................... 37 2.2.1 Passport: developments concerning the enhanced e-Passport ............................. 37 2.2.2 Driving licence .............................................................................................. 39 2.2.3 Birth certificate ............................................................................................. 39 2.3 Fraud ........................................................................................................... 42 3 Human rights ............................................................................................. 44 3.1 Oversight and legal protection ......................................................................... 44 3.1.1 Nigeria Police Force (NPF) ............................................................................... 44 3.1.2 Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF) .......................................................................... 47 3.1.3 Other law enforcement agencies ...................................................................... 47 3.2 Judicial process ............................................................................................. 49 3.2.1 Human rights violations by the NPF ................................................................. 49 3.2.2 Human rights violations by the NAF ................................................................. 52 3.2.3 The death penalty: new sentences, but no executions ........................................ 53 3.3 External oversight of the functioning of the armed forces and police .................... 54 3.3.1 Press freedom ............................................................................................... 54 3.3.2 Consequences of criticism of the functioning of the authorities by other groups ..... 55 3.4 Position of specific groups ............................................................................... 55 3.4.1 Religious groups ............................................................................................ 56 3.4.2 Individually targeted violence by cults .............................................................. 59 3.4.3 Deserters ..................................................................................................... 61 3.4.4 LGBTI .......................................................................................................... 61 3.4.5 Women ........................................................................................................ 74 Error! Unknown d t 3.4.6 FGM ............................................................................................................. 80 3.4.7 Blood feuds and honour killings ....................................................................... 89 3.4.8 Minors .......................................................................................................... 89 4 Refugees and displaced persons ................................................................ 94 4.1 Internally displaced persons (IDPs) .................................................................. 94 4.1.1 Situation of displaced persons in North-East Nigeria ........................................... 94 4.1.2 The situation of displaced persons in the Middle Belt .......................................... 96 4.1.3 Situation of displaced persons in North-West Nigeria .......................................... 98 4.2 Refugees from Cameroon in Nigeria ............................................................... 100 4.2.1 Identity documents for Cameroonian and other refugees .................................. 101 4.2.2 The situation of Cameroonian refugees: malnutrition, gender-based violence and insecurity due to cults .................................................................................. 101 4.2.3 Delayed return due to electoral violence in Cameroon ...................................... 102 4.3 Nigerian refugees in the region ..................................................................... 102 4.3.1 Concerning humanitarian and security situation for Nigerian refugees in Niger .... 102 4.3.2 Deportation of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon ................................................ 103 4.3.3 Stabilisation of the situation of Nigerian refugees in Chad ................................. 103 5 Repatriation ............................................................................................ 104 5.1 Reception at the airport by the authorities ...................................................... 104 5.2 Resettlement in another city or region............................................................ 105 5.3 Reintegration of voluntary returnees .............................................................. 105 5.3.1 The nature of the support with economic and other forms of reintegration for voluntary returnees from the Netherlands ...................................................... 106 5.3.2 The nature of the support with economic and other forms of reintegration for voluntary returnees from Libya and Niger ....................................................... 106 5.3.3 Effect of reintegration support on voluntary returnees from Libya and Niger ....... 107 5.4 Reintegration of forced returnees .................................................................. 107 5.5 Factors that may contribute to reintegration ................................................... 108 5.6 Care of unaccompanied minor returnees ......................................................... 109 6 Human trafficking .................................................................................... 110 6.1 Profiles of human trafficking victims ............................................................... 110 6.1.1 Female victims from southern Nigeria ............................................................ 111 6.1.2 Male victims of human trafficking .................................................................. 111 6.2 Risk of reprisals ........................................................................................... 112 6.2.1 Fear of supernatural reprisals ........................................................................ 112 6.2.2 Lack of clarity about the prevalence of reprisals against victims in practice ......... 113 6.2.3 A possible hardening of attitudes on the part of human traffickers: indications of threats and violence against returning victims ................................................. 113 6.2.4 Retrafficking