Borno State Governor Zulum orders IDP camp shutdown over insecurity concerns
via Punch Nigeria5 min read
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has ordered the immediate closure of the internally displaced persons camp in Bama Local Government Area, citing increased infiltration and criminal activities within the camp. The governor made this announcement in Gwoza Local Government Area following an assessment visit to the Government Secondary School IDP camp. He stated that the Bama IDP camp would close by Thursday noon, and the Gwoza camp would follow within two to three weeks. Zulum attributed the decision to relative peace in communities previously affected by Boko Haram insurgents and expressed concern over rising criminality, including the proliferation of illicit activities, which he said were turning the facilities into hotspots for social vices. He also noted a disturbing trend of people leaving their homes to resettle in camps to collect relief items from non-governmental organizations, and that a significant number of fake IDPs were identified during screening, making camp maintenance unsustainable. He emphasized that Boko Haram/ISWAP are gradually infiltrating the camps.
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