Zulum orders closure of Bama IDP Camp, says Gwoza next

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has ordered the immediate closure of the Bama Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, the largest such facility outside the state capital, Maiduguri. The governor also announced that the IDP camp in Gwoza will be closed within the next few weeks, marking a significant step in the state government's ongoing resettlement program.

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We visited Bama yesterday and supervised the screening of IDPs, and by 12 noon, the Bama IDP camp should be closed.

The decision follows an assessment visit to the Government Secondary School IDP camp in Gwoza. Governor Zulum stated that the Bama camp was to be closed by noon on Thursday, with the Gwoza camp to follow shortly. He explained that the closures are possible due to the relative peace that has returned to many communities previously under the control of Boko Haram insurgents. The state government has already successfully resettled displaced persons in numerous communities across the Bama Local Government Area over the past seven years.

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Today we are here in Gwoza. We have profiled all the occupants and, Insha Allah, within the next two or three weeks, this camp will also be closed.

However, Governor Zulum expressed serious concerns about increasing criminal activities within the IDP camps, warning they are becoming vulnerable to infiltration by criminal elements, including Boko Haram and ISWAP. He also highlighted a disturbing trend of residents leaving their homes to return to camps solely to access humanitarian assistance provided by non-governmental organizations. A government screening exercise revealed a significant number of individuals falsely claiming to be displaced.

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In our camps now, there is ongoing criminality. We have identified those involved and they will be resettled according to their localities and community heads. Otherwise, Boko Haram and ISWAP are gradually infiltrating the camps.

Zulum noted that the Gwoza camp's population had surged from fewer than 400 households a year ago to approximately 3,000, despite many occupants already living within the town. He reiterated the state government's commitment to closing displacement camps and facilitating the safe, dignified return of displaced persons to their communities, with plans to shut down several other IDP camps before the end of his administration to support long-term recovery.

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Many people who are already living in their homes are returning to the camps to receive relief materials from non-governmental organisations. We will ensure that all returns are sustainable.