Psycho-Social Effects of Boko Haram Insurgency on Internally Displace Persons in Mubi Education Zone, Adamawa State Nigeria

This study investigated the psycho-social effects of Boko Haram insurgency on internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mubi Education Zone, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design. A sample of 362 respondents, comprising men, women, and children, was selected from IDPs camps in Malkohi and Fufore using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Psychological Effects of Boko Haram Insurgency on Internally Displaced Persons Questionnaire (PEIDP), which was validated and tested for reliability (Cronbach Alpha = 0.873). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions, while t-test statistics were used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that major causes of Boko Haram insurgency include poverty, unemployment, corruption, bad leadership, religion/illiteracy, tribal affiliation, and political injustice. The study further identified key challenges faced by IDPs such as hunger, lack of medical supplies, financial hardship, overcrowding, poor sanitation, sexual harassment, and disruption of children’s education. In addition, the results showed that IDPs experience severe psycho-social problems including fear, frustration, emotional disturbance, loss of loved ones, helplessness, and trauma. The hypothesis testing indicated a significant difference between male and female respondents, with females experiencing higher psycho-social effects. The study concluded that Boko Haram insurgency has profound psycho-social impacts on IDPs, and recommends targeted interventions such as improved government support, mental health services, and rehabilitation programmes.