Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, has directed the immediate closure of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Bama, the largest displacement camp outside Maiduguri, citing improved security conditions and growing concerns over criminal activities within the facilities.
Zulum made the announcement on Thursday during an assessment visit to the Government Secondary School IDP Camp in Gwoza, where he disclosed that the Bama camp would cease operations by noon following the completion of a screening exercise.
According to the governor, the state government has concluded the profiling of displaced persons in both Bama and Gwoza as part of ongoing efforts to facilitate their return to their respective communities.
“We visited Bama yesterday and supervised the screening of IDPs, and by 12 noon, Bama IDP camp should be closed. Today we are here in Gwoza; we have profiled all of them, and by the grace of God, this camp will also be closed within the next two to three weeks,” he said.
Zulum attributed the decision to the relative peace restored in many communities previously affected by insurgency, noting that the state government has, over the last seven years, successfully resettled thousands of displaced residents across several local government areas.
He listed communities such as Darajamal, Nguro Soye, Goniri, Banki, Abbaram, Ngoshe, Kirawa and Warabe among locations where residents have already been resettled following the restoration of stability.
The governor, however, expressed concern over what he described as increasing criminality within IDP camps, warning that the facilities had become vulnerable to infiltration by insurgent elements.
He revealed that authorities had identified individuals involved in various unlawful activities and would ensure their relocation to their respective communities under the supervision of local leaders.
Zulum also lamented what he described as the growing trend of residents abandoning their homes and returning to camps in order to access humanitarian assistance provided by non-governmental organisations.
According to him, the screening exercise uncovered a significant number of persons posing as displaced individuals despite residing in their communities, a development he said places an unsustainable burden on government resources.
The governor stressed that the state government remains committed to ensuring that all returns and resettlement efforts are sustainable, while reiterating plans to shut down additional camps across the state before the end of his administration.
He noted that the Gwoza camp, which previously housed only a few hundred households, had witnessed a sharp increase in population, with many of the occupants identified as residents already living within the town.
Zulum maintained that the gradual closure of the camps is aimed at promoting long-term recovery, restoring normalcy in liberated communities and preventing the misuse of humanitarian support structures.
