Zulum orders immediate closure of Bama IDP camp

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has directed the immediate closure of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Bama, the largest displacement camp outside Maiduguri, citing progress in the resettlement of displaced residents and improved security across affected communities.

Zulum announced the decision on Thursday during an inspection visit to the Government Secondary School IDP camp in Gwoza. He also disclosed that the Gwoza camp would be shut down within the next two to three weeks following the completion of profiling and screening exercises.

According to the governor, authorities have concluded the screening of displaced persons in Bama, paving the way for the camp’s closure.

“We visited Bama yesterday to supervise the screening of IDPs, and by noon, the Bama IDP camp will be closed. Today, we are in Gwoza, and we have profiled all of them. Insha Allah, in the next two or three weeks, this camp will also be closed,” he said.

Zulum attributed the move to the relative stability restored in many communities previously affected by insurgency, noting that thousands of displaced families had already been resettled in locations such as Darajamal, Nguro Soye, Goniri, Banki, Abbaram, Ngoshe, Kirawa and Warabe.

The governor, however, expressed concern over rising criminal activities within some camps, warning that they had become vulnerable to infiltration by criminal elements, including Boko Haram and ISWAP operatives.

He revealed that security assessments had identified suspicious activities in some camps and said affected residents would be returned to their communities under the supervision of local leaders.

Zulum also raised concerns about what he described as a growing trend of residents abandoning their homes and returning to camps to access humanitarian assistance provided by non-governmental organisations.

According to him, the profiling exercise uncovered a significant number of individuals posing as displaced persons, making the continued operation of some camps unsustainable.

The governor noted that while the Gwoza camp had housed fewer than 400 households a year ago, the number had risen to about 3,000 households, many of whom were already living in the town before returning to the camp.

He added that more IDP camps across Borno State would be closed before the end of his administration as part of efforts to complete the resettlement process and promote long-term recovery and stability in affected communities.