Несмотря на угрозы, жители центральных штатов Нигерии отказываются покидать родные земли

In Nigeria’s Middle Belt, some communities remain in conflict zones despite having the means to flee because leaving would mean surrendering ancestral land, livelihoods, and a way of life they consider irreplaceable. Amnesty International recorded more than 6,896 deaths in Benue between May 2023 and May 2025, highlighting the scale of insecurity. Yet, many choose to stay, even amid minimal government protection. Research based on interviews in Benue and Nasarawa states found that attachment to inherited farmland, family homes, burial grounds, sacred sites, and communal traditions strongly shapes these decisions. Those who remain are not necessarily less fearful. Their calculation is about what displacement would cost socially, culturally, and economically. The findings challenge responses that treat flight as the only rational survival strategy. They suggest that policymakers and aid groups should better understand why people remain, not just why they flee, to design more effective protection and support strategies for conflict-affected communities in the country.