Zulum orders IDP camp shutdown over insecurity

Borno State Governor Prof. Babagana Zulum has ordered the immediate closure of the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Bama Local Government Area, citing security concerns including infiltration and a surge in criminal activities within the camp.

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

Governor Zulum made the announcement on Thursday in Gwoza Local Government Area, following an assessment visit to the Government Secondary School IDP camp. He stated that the Bama IDP camp was to be closed by noon on Thursday after a screening process. He also indicated that the Gwoza camp would follow suit within the next two to three weeks.

Zulum expressed deep concern over the increasing criminality within IDP camps, describing them as becoming hotspots for social vices. He warned that Boko Haram and ISWAP elements are gradually infiltrating these camps. The governor’s decision comes amid relative peace in many communities previously occupied by insurgents, suggesting that the camps themselves have become sources of insecurity.

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Today we are here in Gwoza, we have profiled all of them, and insha Allah, in the next two or three weeks, this camp will also be closed.

Furthermore, Governor Zulum raised alarm over a disturbing trend where individuals who are not displaced are returning to camps to collect relief items from non-governmental organizations. He revealed that a significant number of fake IDPs were identified during the screening exercise in Bama. Zulum stressed that the government cannot sustain the maintenance of camps under such circumstances, particularly noting that the Gwoza camp has seen a dramatic increase in household numbers, with many residents living in the town returning to the camp.

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In our camps now, there is ongoing criminality; we have identified all of them, and they will be resettled based on their localities and to their community heads. Otherwise, Boko Haram/ISWAP are gradually infiltrating the camps.

The governor emphasized the need for sustainable returns, ensuring that displaced individuals are resettled based on their localities and community leadership. The move aims to address security challenges and ensure the efficient distribution of aid to genuine beneficiaries.

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Many of those who are residents living in their homes are returning to the camps to receive handouts from non-governmental organisations.