Cape Town (dpa) – The number of Nigerians in need of food aid due to the persistent violence of Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram has almost doubled to 4.5 million in just five months, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned Tuesday.

The figure could rise by a further million as early as next month in the three states worst affected by the insurgency, Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, according to the WFP.