Amidst Growing Complaints of Starvation in IDP Camps, Nigerian Army Rescues 5,000 Hostages from Boko Haram

The Nigerian Army on Sunday announced that it has rescued 5,000 people held hostage by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno state.

Twitter/HQNigeriaArmy
According to army director of information, Col S. K. Usman, the hostages were rescued in a clearance operation against Boko Haram in territories in Borno state during which 6 of the terrorists were killed.


The announced rescue may however raise some questions especially on the actual state of the warfare in the north-east and on the welfare of rescued persons.

Twitter/HQNigeriaArmy
Twitter/HQNigeriaArmy
Twitter/HQNigeriaArmy

The Nigerian army has repeatedly dismissed claims that the Boko Haram islamist sect still holds territories anywhere in Nigeria but has also repeatedly announced large rescues of up to 2,000 persons at different times from settlements manned by “Boko Haram remnants.”

A second concern revolves around recent reports of starvation at camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) especially at a camp in Bama, a town in Borno state where up to 200 children are said to have died from hunger while many suffer malnutrition.

Hostages rescued by the army are usually subjected to security screening and subsequently taken to IDP camps. It is expected that the newly rescued persons will also be distributed to the different IDP camps which presently face challenges with feeding and sanitary conditions.

A number of social workers and civil society volunteers have raised concerns about the diversion of relief items and food materials by officials of Nigeria’s emergency management agencies overseeing the various IDP camps, some of them accused of colluding with soldiers and other security agents to move food donations to open markets.

The federal government has arguably not done enough and may need to work closely with the state governments to put better structures in place supported with adequate funding to address the neglect in the IDP camps. As it is, it is already a humanitarian crisis. This has gone beyond anticipation, it rather calls for urgent reactions, even if shamefully belated.

OJPals, what do you think? Tell us in the comments!

@OJ’s Blog EXCLUSIVE

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