Nigerian government relocates 3,000 IDPs to Bama following reopening of Maiduguri-Bama-Banki road
- No fewer than 3,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Bama origin in Borno have been relocated to their hometown
- The Nigerian government relocated the IDPs after Maiduguri-Bama-Banki road was reopened
- The return is said to have increased the population of people in need of humanitarian assistance
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said the Nigerian government has relocated no fewer than 3,000 internally displaced persons of Bama origin in Borno to their hometown.
IOM said the relocation followed the reopening of the Maiduguri-Bama-Banki road on March 24 by the Nigerian military after four years of its closure due to Boko Haram activities, NAN reports.
Legit.ng notes that the road, which runs from Maiduguri through Konduga, Bama, Gwoza and also connects to the neighbouring countries of Cameroon and Chad, was shut to commercial and public traffic in September 2014.
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In a flash report, IOM said the return had increased the population of people in need of humanitarian assistance.
IOM said: “Following the reopening of the road, about 3,000 IDPs of Bama origin at Dalori I and II Camps in Maiduguri were relocated to Bama town by the government of Nigeria, on April 2, 2018.
“The population of people in need of humanitarian assistance has increased significantly due to the influx, and larger number of returns are expected in the coming days/weeks."
The UN migration agency said Bama local government area had an IDP population of 49,139 individuals from 14,064 households as per the Displacement Tracking Matrix Round XXI. It explained that Bama is the LGA of origin for the largest number of 203,374 of displaced persons in Borno and neighbouring states.
The agency said: “Majority of the original population in Bama were displaced to other locations due to insecurity and inaccessibility.
“Prior to the recent population return to Bama, over 95 per cent of the remaining people in the LGA resided in Banki Camp with 33,081 individuals and Government Secondary School Camp with 16,058 individuals.
“The government has rehabilitated some communities in Shehuri and Kasugula wards of Bama, and IDPs are being assisted to return to these rehabilitated areas."
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Army on Saturday, March 24, formally reopened the Maiduguri-Bama-Banki International Highway for commercial and public traffic.
Maj.-Gen Rogers Nicholas, the theatre commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, announced this at the inauguration of the highway in Maiduguri.
Nicholas said that the road was certified safe for public use following the successes recorded in the ongoing clearance operation to rout out remnants of Boko Haram insurgents in Sambisa forest and the Lake Chad basin.
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Source: Legit.ng
