Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State aims to close the Bama Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp, one of the largest in the state, by 2025.
This was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Governor of Borno State, Dauda Iliya on Sunday January 5, during his appearance on News Central’s Breakfast Xtra.
According to Iliya, one of Zulum’s main goals is to return all displaced people—including refugees who are born in their own country—to their communities.
He successfully relocated numerous communities in 2024, most notably the Gajubo community in Dikwa, the Kumshe community, and other communities in Bama.
In Borno State, “Bama is the third largest local government area and one of the local governments that was repeatedly devastated; I can say that the devastation in Bama is much more than in any other local government in the state.”
Speaking further, Iliya stated that the construction effort has been going on ever since Zulum was appointed commissioner of resettlement reconstruction and rehabilitation.
However, he believed that rather than continuing to live in IDP camps, the people of Bama should at least return to their village because it is degrading for someone who has a home and family to remain there.
“He began by working with Banki and other corporate communities. Therefore, he wants to provide them with a means of subsistence in addition to resettling them.
“The majority of them work as farmers. His official workday of the year was to travel to Abbaram, a town ten kilometres outside the city of Bama that had been devoid of people for over a decade. Zulum took the initiative to visit the ruined and devastated district of Abbaram because he believed that these people needed to be resettled back to their communities. He went there along with Abbaram community leaders and security chiefs.”
The community is located in Kulum Muhammad Barrack, one of the military barracks in Bama Local Government; therefore, he observed and analysed the region and found that it is necessary to dig tranches to prevent insurgency infiltration.
According to the spokesman for Borno State, the governor also paid a visit to Darajamal, one of the biggest towns in Abbaram.
“There are plans for further social amenities, and building is still going on.
“When Zulum wishes to relocate populations, he first makes sure the security personnel assure him that the area is safe and provides civil authorities, such as building a police station, court, and other vital infrastructure. The communities will then begin to be rebuilt. There, more than 5,000 homes are presently being built.”
