Women protest living in IDPs, insists on returning to the bush —Gov. Zulum

Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has raised the alarm over the recent abduction of over two hundred women and young girls from three Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Ngala, located at the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

During a meeting with a delegation of diplomats, a UN team, and development partners in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Governor Zulum provided insight into the dire situation.

According to Zulum, some of the abducted women and girls have voluntarily returned to the bush, exacerbating the challenges faced by authorities in managing the IDP camps.

He emphasised the urgency of the situation, noting that donors’ current level of support is insufficient to sustain the camps effectively.

“It has become no more sustainable for us to keep the people at the IDP camps. But if the 19 of you here, 23 of you here, are willing to provide immediate support for us and bring the food items, then we shall continue to keep the people,” Zulum expressed during the meeting.

The governor highlighted the phenomenon of donor fatigue and the increasing desire among displaced individuals to earn their livelihoods independently.

He recounted a recent incident in Mafa, his hometown, where hundreds of women protested against living in the IDP camps, expressing their preference for returning to the bush. “Some women numbering about 500 demonstrated that they didn’t want to live in the IDP. They want to go to the bush. We have to be very careful,” Zulum cautioned.

In response to the ongoing crisis, Zulum outlined his administration’s ambitious plan to construct 85,000 new houses across 66 communities in Borno State.

This initiative aims to provide sustainable resettlement solutions for IDPs and other victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.

The governor’s remarks come amidst a backdrop of escalating violence and insecurity in the region. At the same time, the recent abduction further underscored the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address the root causes of conflict and provide holistic support to affected communities.

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