Insurgency: 12,000 Nigerians relocate to Niger

He said the number is increasing on a daily basis as more people are still crossing over to Niger from Nigeria, explaining that “we are still compiling their names but the number is outrageous when compared to last year’s migration.”Malam Issa told Daily Trust in Bosso town that about 4,000 of the refugees are taking […]

He said the number is increasing on a daily basis as more people are still crossing over to Niger from Nigeria, explaining that “we are still compiling their names but the number is outrageous when compared to last year’s migration.”
Malam Issa told Daily Trust in Bosso town that about 4,000 of the refugees are taking shelter in Bosso town, over 5,000 are scattered in various villages around the town and an additional 2,000 are in Tudun-Dogo and environs.
He said a committee has been set up by the Niger Republic government to assist the displaced persons, adding that some items including foodstuffs, blankets, clothing materials and cooking pots among others were  distributed to the displaced persons few days ago and more assistance would be extended to them very soon.
Daily Trust gathered that the refugees are from various villages and towns of Borno State including Kukawa, Baga, Marte, Damasa, Dogon-Naira, Kangarwa, Kaukiri, Tumbun-Gini, Metile, Abadam, Tumba, Dugari, Madayi, Darge, Jubillam, Talatan-Gam, Yawu, Lungun-Barebari, Jummaina, Magari, Maryawa, Mari, Gashakar, Malayi and Dogon-Cuku among others.
Others are in Abadam-France (Abadam located in Niger Republic), Balatungur, Gamgara(1), Gamgara (2), Balgana, Yebi, Barwa, Kaulawa, Kincandi, Dagarya, Tuboram, Jumar, Tindinlam, Bulayi, Gogan, Mamori, Kirikiri, Kasumba, Tumbun-Boka and Ngugurun and Garin-Amadu.
There are yet others in Korodiyo, Kwatan-Mota, Kwaramga, Bulabul, Hanyan-Mota, Markobina, Lubi-Soruwa, Gadra-Gana, Gadra, Lelewa, Nairawa, Kurnawa, Kwarangwal, Shilawa, Zabuwa, Bazarkowa, Jingilla, Cuku, Dumichirim, Markobina and Folo Buduma.
There are also about 2,000 refugees staying at Tudun-Dogo and environs around the state capital, Daily Trust learnt.
Daily Trust observed that the refugees are facing serious threats from cholera, malaria and complaining of stomach aches. It was learnt that many children at some of the camps visited are battling with these ailments.
Though the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has sent some health personnel to the camps to help contain the situation, but things are getting worst as more children are falling sick, it was learnt.
Some of the refugees, who spoke to our reporter in Bosso town, said the ailments are a result of the situation they are now in and exposure to mosquito bites in their camps and the nature of water they now drink.
They said that they only get clean water in the night when the Niger authority pumps it to Bosso town but that when that finishes they have no alternative than to drink from a nearby stream, the water which they said was not as clean as that provided by the government.
Some of the refugees who recounted their ordeals, said they had to flee to Niger Republic for their dear lives as life under the insurgents was unbearable.
One of the refugees (names withheld) told Daily Trust that he stayed with the insurgents for a few days in Jummaina before he finally fled to Bosso when life under them became difficult.
He said that more people will move to Niger Republic after the harvest period because most of those he spoke with said they stayed back only to harvest their crops.
“I was never threatened by the insurgents because I never violated their rules or disobeyed their orders, but I was terrified when I witnessed the killing of two young men whom the insurgents claimed were civilian JTF personnel. They shot them in public and asked members of the community to bury the corpses. So because of that I relocated to Niger Republic with my family,” he said.
He said about 200 armed insurgents stormed the village on motorbikes and told the residents to remain as they were not there to hurt anybody, adding that “initially they were peaceful but after some few days they started killing people especially the youths in the community. They also started seizing our farm produce and abducting our young daughters as well.”
A father of 14, Malam Amadu said life under the insurgents was difficult because nobody was sure of his/her life and nobody was allowed to relocate from the captured villages, adding that “people only sneaked out of their villages because whoever is caught trying to leave a village will be killed by the insurgents.
“Markets and schools are not operating in the insurgents’ controlled villages and towns. Not a single market or school is operating in the captured areas presently. They will also never allow you to take the crops you have cultivated outside the captured villages and towns and if you escaped from a village or town, all your belongings would be taken over by the insurgents,” he said.
Amadu added that “most of the captured villages and towns were deserted. Where you find 200 people in a captured village, you will discover that 150 are Boko Haram members because more than 80 per cent of the occupants have fled.”
He said: “I am an indigene of Kebbi State and presently I am only waiting for my father to cross over to Niger so that we can decide whether we will stay here in Bosso permanently or we will go back to our state of origin, Kebbi. Honestly I am not going back to Jummaina.”
Another refugee, Malam Dauda Garba, said they were confused by the activities of the insurgents as no one knew what exactly they wanted, adding “they can announce a law in the night and change it in the morning.
 “We really don’t understand their motive. Another thing that is also confusing us is that only Hausa and Fulani people are fleeing their villages while the Kanuri stay in their villages. Most of us will not go back to our villages.”
The 75-year-old father of eight, said he left all his belongings in Kangarwa village in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State, adding “I only escaped with my wife and eight children.”
He said: “We are eating only grounded maize with groundnut oil here in Bosso. We don’t have any other food, shelter or clothes. We only rely on the assistance from other people. We normally send our children into the town to beg especially in the night whenever we do not get any assistance from others. We really need assistance from Nigerian government.”
Adam Feti, 57, who also fled to Bosso from Kangarwa village about three weeks ago, called on the Nigerian government to come to their aid as, according to him, their situation is beyond the capability of Niger Republic government, “although the authorities are assisting us as best they can but the Nigerian authorities should also play their own part.
“I trekked for about 15 kilometers with my wife and seven kids from Kangarwa to Kanama village. We spent three days in Kanama before we proceeded to Bosso. We are surviving on the little money being contributed for me by friends; they are contributing N20 each to enable me take care of my family. Life cannot continue like that I have to look for something for a living,” he lamented.
Another refugee, Hajiya Fanta Abbaram, said she only escaped with her life, adding that “when she arrived at Bosso some women donated some cash and one set of clothes to her. Fifteen days after her relocation, she was still managing with one pair of cloth.”
She said six of them sleep in one make-shift tent that cannot accommodate more than three people, adding that they rely on food given to them by their host, adding that they eat twice in a day.
She said she has no one to take care of her, noting that “I cannot continue staying under the insurgents because I cannot continue witnessing killing of human beings that is why I relocated to Bosso and I have no intention of going back.”