VEJOH - VERITAS JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES

Numbers 35:9-15 unequivocally mandated the designation of six cities of refuge for the vulnerable inadvertent murderer. Beyond the case of the unintentional killer, the text could find meaning in the light of the plight of victims of unexpected circumstances in contemporary societies. Currently, Nigeria faces a heavy burden of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The prevailing situation of insurgency and other factors have led to an overwhelming increase in the number of IDPs in the country. The aim of this study is to read Numbers 35:9-15 in the context of the plight of IDPs with a view to engineering a biblical theoretical base for policy formulation and implementation for the rehabilitation of IDPs in Nigeria. The work adopts inculturation hermeneutics and socio-historical method in interpreting the text while relying on comparative method in contextualizing the biblical cities of refuge in the light of contemporary IDPs camps. The work finds that Numbers 35:9-15 has a social, religious and legal relevance on the issue of IDPs. It also finds that IDPs are victims of unfortunate circumstances as was the case of those who sought safety at the cities of refuge in Bible days. The paper concludes that even though Numbers 35:9-15 does not directly address the contemporary issues of internal displacement, it could serve as a moral conduit for policies in favour IDPs. The paper therefore recommends among other things that recognized settlements for victims of unforeseen circumstances like insurgency and natural disasters should be mapped out from the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria as cities of refuge and they should be strategically chosen from the safest areas in each state.

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