Returning IDPs to Their Homeland is Premature, Say Borno Elders
Returning IDPs to Their Homeland is Premature, Say Borno Elders
e Reporter, 19 Mar 2015
URL: http://www.ereporter.com.ng/index.php/national-news/item/4051-returning-idps-to-their-homeland-is-premature-say-borno-elders
The Borno Elders Forum on Wednesday advised that displaced residents of the territories newly reclaimed from Boko Haram should not be hurriedly returned back home, insisting that it is too early.
The elders said what should be paramount in the minds of everyone is the reconstruction of the reclaimed territories that were totally destroyed by the insurgents.
The forum in a statement by its chairman, Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari: “We decided to speak today, as a matter of urgency to quickly respond to an emerging decision that is being contemplated, from what is coming out from some sections of the Nigerian media. We are hearing suggestions from some key leaders contemplating the immediate or urgent return of our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters who have been displaced from their communities and are either living at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Abuja, the FCT, Lagos among others within Nigeria or taking refuge in neighbouring Cameroun, Chad and Niger Republic on account of threats to their lives and occupation of their ancestral homes by insurgents.”
“However, we are disturbed by thoughts and speeches being made towards returning displaced persons to these communities that have just been reclaimed.”
The forum added that its “concerns have nothing to do with procedures regarding the March 28 and April 11 general elections. We are an apolitical forum whose sons have respectful rights to be associated with any registered political party of their choices. Our focus is our citizens. We have an obligation towards all sons and daughters of Borno State as elders of the dtate.”
It added that: “From our point of view as elders, blessed by God to see beyond our younger ones, we think it is too early to even start talking about anyone going back to any of these reclaimed territories. The military had said about three weeks ago, that part of the reasons it took it a longer time to enter territories being occupied by insurgents was because of the need to regularly get rid of mines buried on most routes by insurgents. If mines could have been buried along routes, what more of communities where the insurgents lived? What more of homes they forcefully occupied?
“There is also the fact known to most of us that some insurgents fled out of council headquarters they occupied while the military was on the way. In some cases, the insurgents fled with young boys and girls, from accounts given by some victims that escaped from occupied territories.”
The elders said: “We are always aware and this was to be expected, that insurgents fled to villages outside headquarters of local government areas. We have had reoccurring attacks along Ngamdu-Maiduguri road which is just some 100 kilometres away from Maiduguri that is considered the safest part of the State given security presence. We are no doubt likely to have insurgents in villages around most of the reclaimed territories and that is not to say that the military didn’t do well.
“It is only natural that people retreat in war to either flee or regroup and whichever way is chosen, any unarmed civilian that is cited could be a target of severe revenge from what we know of insurgents in Borno State. We therefore think it will a very unnecessary risk to take, if displaced persons are returned back at the moment. We understand the military is engaged in mop up operations. That shouldn’t be interrupted so that not just headquarters of local government areas but indeed villages and roads within the State and those linking other States will become safe for motorists because for nearly two years and as still stand, of the five routes linking Maiduguri, only that connecting Damaturu, Potiskum, Azare to Kano is being plied by motorists even that risks are taken because of occasional attacks in Ngamdu notwithstanding heavy security presence on the route that lessened attacks compared to what was happening a year ago.”
The elders said what should be paramount in the minds of everyone is the reconstruction of the reclaimed territories that were totally destroyed by the insurgents.
The forum in a statement by its chairman, Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari: “We decided to speak today, as a matter of urgency to quickly respond to an emerging decision that is being contemplated, from what is coming out from some sections of the Nigerian media. We are hearing suggestions from some key leaders contemplating the immediate or urgent return of our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters who have been displaced from their communities and are either living at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Abuja, the FCT, Lagos among others within Nigeria or taking refuge in neighbouring Cameroun, Chad and Niger Republic on account of threats to their lives and occupation of their ancestral homes by insurgents.”
“However, we are disturbed by thoughts and speeches being made towards returning displaced persons to these communities that have just been reclaimed.”
The forum added that its “concerns have nothing to do with procedures regarding the March 28 and April 11 general elections. We are an apolitical forum whose sons have respectful rights to be associated with any registered political party of their choices. Our focus is our citizens. We have an obligation towards all sons and daughters of Borno State as elders of the dtate.”
It added that: “From our point of view as elders, blessed by God to see beyond our younger ones, we think it is too early to even start talking about anyone going back to any of these reclaimed territories. The military had said about three weeks ago, that part of the reasons it took it a longer time to enter territories being occupied by insurgents was because of the need to regularly get rid of mines buried on most routes by insurgents. If mines could have been buried along routes, what more of communities where the insurgents lived? What more of homes they forcefully occupied?
“There is also the fact known to most of us that some insurgents fled out of council headquarters they occupied while the military was on the way. In some cases, the insurgents fled with young boys and girls, from accounts given by some victims that escaped from occupied territories.”
The elders said: “We are always aware and this was to be expected, that insurgents fled to villages outside headquarters of local government areas. We have had reoccurring attacks along Ngamdu-Maiduguri road which is just some 100 kilometres away from Maiduguri that is considered the safest part of the State given security presence. We are no doubt likely to have insurgents in villages around most of the reclaimed territories and that is not to say that the military didn’t do well.
“It is only natural that people retreat in war to either flee or regroup and whichever way is chosen, any unarmed civilian that is cited could be a target of severe revenge from what we know of insurgents in Borno State. We therefore think it will a very unnecessary risk to take, if displaced persons are returned back at the moment. We understand the military is engaged in mop up operations. That shouldn’t be interrupted so that not just headquarters of local government areas but indeed villages and roads within the State and those linking other States will become safe for motorists because for nearly two years and as still stand, of the five routes linking Maiduguri, only that connecting Damaturu, Potiskum, Azare to Kano is being plied by motorists even that risks are taken because of occasional attacks in Ngamdu notwithstanding heavy security presence on the route that lessened attacks compared to what was happening a year ago.”