Displaced Persons, Families of ‘Repentant’ Fighters Threaten Return to Boko Haram-Controlled Areas Due to Hardship

Some displaced persons and the families of repentant Boko Haram fighters are contemplating a return to territories controlled by the terrorist group. The threat stems from the harsh living conditions and alleged neglect in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

Amidst a nationwide wave of demonstrations by organized labor due to prevailing hardships, these families and individuals highlight issues of hunger and dire circumstances within the IDP camps. Accusing authorities of neglecting essential supplies, they assert that life was more bearable under Boko Haram occupation, framing their potential return to the jungle as a matter of survival.

The complainants argue that basic necessities have become scarce, and the lack of available farmlands for cultivation exacerbates their plight. A displaced person from Dikwa expressed the grim situation, stating, “Some of our colleagues here in Dikwa have decided to return to the bush because life is not any better here in the camp. We’re just suffering here.”

Another individual justified the potential return, emphasizing, “We took the decision to leave our families behind and relocate to the Boko Haram-controlled area because it is all about dying whether here or there.”

In response to these alarming developments, Borno state governor Babagana Umara Zulum dismissed the complaints as baseless, stating, “those who want to return to Boko Haram in the bush are free to do so.”