Zulum’s Prickly Threat to Eject IDPs in Maiduguri

Ring true With Yemi  Adebowale

Phone 08054699539

Email: yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com

Maiduguri is home to about a million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs); all victims of the Boko Haram attacks from across Borno State. There are 16 official camps in this town, with scores of other informal ones. The camps at the housing estate in Auno; Stadium, Bakassi, Muna Garage, Gubio, Dalori I & II, are some of the sites overflowing with IDPs in the Borno State’s capital.

Some of these traumatised people have been living in these hideous settlements for over 11 years. They are desperate to go home because living here is horrifying. IDPs struggle for meals and hardly get enough. Here, hunger, disease and malnutrition pervade. Women and children are sexually assaulted. Boko Haram also pummels them intermittently. But they can’t return to their villages and towns because terrorists still dominate. Some of these distressed Borno State local government areas are presently inaccessible. Government officials don’t go there without heavy escorts. Governor Babagana Zulum visits these areas with massive security convoy. You need to see Zulum’s armada to understand what I am talking about.

The IDPs would love to return home, away from the horrible camps in Maiduguri but they fear for their lives. Suddenly, Governor Zulum wants to force them out of these encampments. He wants them returned home and into the claws of Boko Haram. Two weeks ago, the Borno State Governor claimed reasonable peace had returned to all parts of Borno State and all IDPs camps within Maiduguri metropolis would be closed by December 31.

“The Borno State Government has concluded arrangements to ensure closure of all Internally Displaced Persons camps that are inside Maiduguri Metropolitan on or before 31st of December 2021,” declared Zulum. This is dreadful. Closing the camps is premature move. Yes, attacks have slowed in the troubled areas, but most of the towns and villages outside Maiduguri are still not safe. The terrorists are very much on ground.

Just last Tuesday, fighters of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) attacked members of a joint security team conducting clearance operations in Malam Fatori, the headquarters of Abadam LG, killing two Mobile Policemen and a soldier. The clearance operations were in preparation for the return and resettlement of IDPs. This is the same Malam Fatori that Zulum is planning to return 50,000 households who fled from Abadam and took refuge in Bosso, Niger Republic. They ran to Niger Republic following persistent attacks by Boko Haram. The attacks have not ceased.

Is it not preposterous that Zulum is even talking about returning these hapless Nigerians to communities in the notorious Mallam Fatori? Mallam Fatori has been a ghost town for years because of the activities of terrorists. Virtually everybody in this area moved to Niger republic. Now, Zulum says he wants to bring back everybody from Niger Republic by November 27 because “there is reasonable peace” in the town. The story of peace here is subterfuge. I doubt if anybody will agree to return to Mallam Fatori. Zulum should allow the return to Mallam Fatori happen naturally. The people would know when their communities in Mallam Fatori are safe.

On the same November 2, ISWAP fighters attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri. Many of them, on pickup trucks, opened fire on a military checkpoint in Molai, Kaga LG, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, triggering a gunfight that lasted for more than an hour. Reinforcement teams from Maiduguri, hunters residing at the village and Army’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) Molai, dashed to the scene to scuttle ISWAP’s move.

Again, early this week, Abou Aseyia, who was recently appointed the Chief of ISWAP forces in Sambisa forest, mounted an illegal check point on the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road for several hours, with 13 gun trucks, two MRAP and one Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC). Scores of travellers were abducted in the process. The roadblock was precisely at Tamsukau, in Kaga LG, about 7 kilometres from Ngamdu. A Nigerian Army Super Camp is located in Ngamdu, yet Aseyia and his boys were running riot. The terrorists, dressed in military uniforms, set up the checkpoint, which the commuters mistook to be that of Nigerian soldiers. So, the terrorists abducted them with ease.

ISWAP fighters also struck in Mugumeri last Wednesday. They attacked a community hospital and burnt a telecommunications mast in the town. The terrorists also stole drugs and other medical consumables from the hospital during the raid. Magumeri is just 40 kilometers from Maiduguri.
Nine days back, the guerrillas stormed Damboa, killing and maiming. Some policemen attached to the mobile unit in the town were killed. They drove into Damboa with eight gun-trucks and operated for hours. The terrorists headed straight to the Damboa MOPOL barracks and razed their buildings with the two MOPOL vehicles on ground. Afterwards, they headed to the CJTF Outpost in the town and set it on fire. They also burnt one vehicle belonging to the CJTF. Any terror group with this kind of courage, manpower, arms and ammunition is still very strong. They proved it in the last two weeks. So, I can’t understand the “reasonable degree of peace” Zulum is talking about.

In a number of communities in Borno State where IDPs were earlier resettled, they had to scamper to Maiduguri when they came under Boko Haram’s attack. Schools, homes and clinics built for them were destroyed by the terrorists. The story government told them then was that the communities were now safe. It turned out to be a ruse.

Besides the issue of security, the homes and businesses of IDPs have been destroyed by the terrorists and they will require basic infrastructure if they are to be returned home today. Things are evidently not in place for these people to restart their lives.
Hanoch Hebron, a Gender and Inclusion Coordinator at Plan International, who has worked with IDPs in the past six years remarked soberly: “I particularly feel that the Borno State Government is not prepared in terms of what it needs to do. The question is: Where are the IDPs going? Also, are there enough health services to accommodate the number of people returning? Do they have any means of livelihood yet? Where will they get basics like water, accessible food, markets and other necessities to sustain life? These are some of the factors that are missing at the moment.”
Abba Kawu, an IDP living in Dalori 1, adds: “Many of us are scared of returning to our ancestral homes, especially with the recent attack in Damboa. Some, including myself, may remain in the minicamps until we are sure of our safety.”

This talk by Zulum about the Nigerian military providing the needed support to the IDPs to return home is a farce. Our gallant soldiers are doing their best but have not shown capacity for this. They are even struggling to protect their bases. Few weeks back, the Nigerian Army base in Katarko, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State was attacked by Boko Haram. This base has been attacked thrice this year. The recent attack saw the terrorists engaging security agents in the base in heavy shooting, forcing residents to run to the bushes for safety. The terrorists drove into Katarko in 10 gun-trucks, attacked the military base and took caches of arms and ammunition. The military is yet to capture those behind this heinous attack.

Last September, the terrorists also attacked the base of “Operation Hadarin Daji” located in Burkusuma village, Sabon Birni LG of Sokoto, on the fringes of Nigeria’s border with Niger Republic, leaving nine soldiers, four policemen (MOPOL) and three NSCDC officers dead. The bandits overran the base with a large number of fighters. Six weeks after, the attackers are yet to be apprehended. So, Zulum’s talk about the military shepherding the IDPs is not feasible.
The IDPs will naturally leave Maiduguri and return to their homes if genuine peace returns to the troubled communities. Even a blind man would know when Boko Haram is genuinely eliminated. This is the task that must be done; not forcing IDPs out of Maiduguri into the claws of terrorists. Zulum must be stopped from executing this hazardous plan.

Still on Boko Haram, it is depressing that the terrorists are still enjoying a free rein in many communities in Shiroro and Munya local government areas of Niger State, weeks after the devastated residents cried out for help. Last May, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello raised the first alarm that Boko Haram had hoisted their flag in Kaure Village in Munya LG. As at yesterday, the terrorists were still maiming and killing in Munya and Shiroro. They have also shut many schools in the LGs.

Six weeks ago, the Chairman of Shiroro LG, Sulaiman Chikuba reported: “As the Chairman of Shiroro LG, I can tell you that Shiroro is not only dealing with the issue of banditry, Shiroro has a lot of Boko Haram. I have proof of this as the Chairman. Boko Haram has proclaimed that they do not want conventional primary and secondary schools; their only preference is the Islamic school. They have been trying to incorporate and recruit the residents to become members, telling them that they will give them arms to assist Boko Haram in fighting the government.”
Things are getting worse in Shiroro and Munya LGs. Boko Haram is sitting firmly and controlling these territories. How can this be happening in a country with a legitimate government? Who else do we appeal too now to save the citizens of Shiroro and Munya? Is it the same Nigerian military that has been overwhelmed? A tough one!

Security Cracks in Abuja
Terrorists are slipping in and out of Abuja with ease. That’s the truth. Security agents must be proactive. Technology and equipment are vital. This is the modern way of combating terrorism. Mounting security checkpoints, and creating crisis for motorist, as being witnessed in Abuja in the last few days, is not the way to go. Terrorists will not wait in the traffic to be apprehended. Residents of Abuja, especially those who live along the Abuja-Keffi expressway in areas like Kugbo, Karu, Jokwoyi, Orozo, Karshi, Nyanya, Mararaba, One-man village, Masaka, among other satellite towns, are going through hell as a result of roadblocks mounted by soldiers.

It’s so sad that the terrorists in a daring morning raid slipped into the staff quarters of the University of Abuja last Tuesday and abducted six people.
The good news is that the abductees have regained freedom after paying ransom. But will the perpetrators ever be arrested and brought to book?
It hardly happens. Another set of terrorists had eight days back stormed the staff quarters of Junior Secondary School (JSS) Yebu in Kwali Area Council of Abuja, and abducted the Vice Principal, Mohammed Nuhu. Few days after the Yebu abduction, the Chief Imam of Yabgoji Central Mosque, Abubakar Abdullahi Gbedako, who is also the vice principal of Junior Secondary School, Kwaita, Kwali Area Council, was also abducted.

Abuja is clearly not looking good. Our security agents must rise to the challenges of tackling terrorism with technology, equipment, and quality manpower. These are the imperatives of modern policing. Seeking assistance from developed climes is a key option out of this mess. Those leading this country can’t continue pretending that Nigeria doesn’t need assistance from stable climes. We must continue to pressure our leaders to do the needful as pain persists across Nigeria.