The Life of IDP Camp, Special Report On Bama
By Usman Ahmed
Kanempress
25th August 2022
Boko Haram (BH) Insurgency has led to over two million displaced Nigerians in Borno State, Northeast region.
In an interview with some of the IDPs at the Government Senior Science Secondary School Bama IDP Camp, where at least fifty thousand IDPs are housed, it is so pathetic to note that despite the high number of NGOs in the state and other government humanitarian bodies such as (NEMA) National Emergency Management Agency, Ministry For Humanitarian Affairs, State Emergency Relief Agency (SEMA) and other local NGOs, the Idps are in deplorable state. Anyone who come in contact with the refugees would weep and lament.
A member of the IDP from Gulumba, Aisa Maibe. She is a mother of 3 children aged between 6 to12 years. Maibe lost her husband and two grown up adults as a result of the terrorist Boko Haram’s attack on her village.
Aisa lamented that for the past 16 months, nobody had supplied food to her or any member of the IDPs..
Further inquiry as to how she she manages to survive despite the fact that she did not receive any support from government and (NGOs), Maibe responded ” I survived through alms begging, because both my husband and two grown up sons were killed by the Boko Haram terrorist “
Maibe went on to say that the living condition of the IDPs is beyond imagination. She said sometimes, she does not receive a single kobo, hence she and her children go to sleep on empty stomach.
Another IDP from Goniri village, Mele Fantami described the situation there as pathetic. He said ” I have two wives and 8 children.
For the past 16 month, Fantami said he doesn’t obtain even a dime in this camp.
“I do tailoring business before Boko Haram chased us away from our ancestral home. I don’t know what to do. Sometimes, i go out of the camp to do a menial job for me and my family to survive, Fantami said.
” I called on the government and NGos to come to our aid, because our living condition is critical ” Ya Durtu.
A 70-year-old grandmother from zangeri lamented her ordeal in the following words ” When BH terrorist group attacked our village in 2014, they abducted all young girls and boys, who were between the ages of 9 to 15.
initially, some white men came to our rescue by providing us with enough food and cash for us every month. In fact, even the state government was providing us with 10 kg of rice, maize and millet every month. “
“The state Governor himself is the one coordinating the distribution of food and other incentives. Sadly, for the past 16 months, we did not receive any support from either the government or NGOs”, she said.
She decried that, “if necessary, actions are not taken to address the situation, there would be famine, because even now people are dying due to sickness and anger”
In fact, more than 20 people that i interviewed have aired the same views. It is so sad, unfortunate and indeed pathetic that there are thousands of kids who are orphans. They scavenge and beg for survival. The cases of cholera, malaria and typhoid fever have claimed lives on daily basis.
Investigation revealed the deplorable state of the toilets and the tents due to heavy rainfall, shortages of medicines, mosquito nets.
Some of the IDPS sleep outside due to shortages of shelter tents. Some of the young girls were forced into prostitution. Some of the questions to ask here include where are the government agencies responsible for management of humanitarian crisis? What are the efforts by the Borno state government to address such a critical and inhuman condition??? Where is the North East Development Commission? The Commission was established to intervene and to ameliorate the sufferings of these IDPs? Where are the agencies such as NEMATODE, Sema and organization like ICRC (Red Cross) World Food Program, (UNHCR) United Nation High Commission For Refugees???
