Rights Group Wants Quick Return Of IDPs To Their Communities

A coalition of human rights groups which specialises in conflict resolution had said the federal government and the military must immediately unveil a roadmap for returning and reintegrating IDPs initially displaced by Boko Haram back into their original communities.

The group said the urgency for returning the IDPs to their communities is necessitated by the need to end exploitation of their plight by foreign NGOs. Besides, the group said the insurgents now target such IDP camps.

The coalition which was making public its findings, following an assessment tour of the north east region said it observed that IDPs camps have remained operational, years after the communities from where the IDPs were displaced have been fully liberated by troops and are being rehabilitated by the relevant level of government.

Addressing Journalists during the presentation, Maxwell Gowon, executive director/national coordinator of the coalition said concerned stakeholders must therefore evolve a new approach towards handling the humanitarian issues in the area without relying on dubious NGOs.

He said, “The camps constitute soft targets for Boko Haram’s person borne IEDs and suicide bombers who continue to attempts attacks at the facilities to create the impression of still being deadly. The camps have also been exploited by sympathisers of the terror group as recruitment ground to replenish the decimated ranks of the terrorists.

“Questionable international organisations like Amnesty International leverage on the existence of these camps as propaganda props. There have been reports that they monetarily induce IDPs to pose as victims of sexual abuse in order to malign soldiers. Diseases and other mishaps that are natural consequences of people being dislocated and confined to restricted areas are easily blamed on the military by an organisation like this. 

“International NGOs and their local affiliates continue to write in their financial reports that they provided aid to IDPs Camps in Nigeria while in reality the funds are mostly embezzled and swindled by those in charge and nothing is achieved at the end of the day.”