IDPs in Borno cry of marginalisation, starvation, seek FG’s intervention

From Junaid Jibril Maive, Maiduguri
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bakassi Camp on Tuesday appealed to the Federal Government to come to their aid as marginalization takes centre stage in their camp.
The IDPs similarly revealed that the state government has not given them food for the last four months.
The IDPs, mostly from Gwoza Local Government made this known yesterday when Senate Mohammed Ali Ndume, Senator representing southern Borno stormed the camp.
Some of the IDPs told our correspondent that security personnel in the camp similarly harass them whenever they try going out to schools or any vocations.

Malama Kande Sarki, an old woman of about 80 disclosed that the security at the gate most times seize their food items without tangible reasons.
‘There was a day during fasting period, the securities forced our Imam to drink water from gutter for simply going out of the camp’, she added.
‘They don’t allow our children to go to school and they chase our young girls’, another IDP, Musa Zarto said.
Haruna Izge, an IDP in the camp, complained that officials in the Camp marginalise them, ‘most times, we had to wait for the IDPs from other Local Governments to finish collecting donated items before we join queue’, he said, adding, emotionally, ‘at times, we don’t get the items’.
‘If you refused to give food to the younger girls who either lost their parents or husbands, what do you expect?’ Izge asked rhetorically.
Another IDP, Peter Pulka, said though the government is trying, the Suya Beans given to them is not the kind of food they are used to, hence the reasons behind their agitation to go out and supplement it.
Mr Pulka particularly accused the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) of diverting food meant for them and even going to the extent of showing differences among the displaced people during distributions.
‘For four months now, government did not give us food’, he said.
Responding, Senator Mohammed Ndume called on them to be patient promising them that he would forward their complains to the relevant authorities while assuring them of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Kashim Shettima’s concern for their welfare.