A report by Premium Times online publication has narrated how some Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs at Bayari YBC Camp in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, have been surviving with difficulties.
The report, titled; Yobe IDPs: Displaced by Boko Haram, abandoned by government, ravaged by hunger, was published on Wednesday, where it explained that the IDPs, whom were mostly displaced from Gada, a town in Gujba local government area of Yobe, lacked adequate feeding, access to healthcare services, education, proper hygiene and inefficient means of livelihood.
Some of the IDPs, mostly women and children, interviewed by the newspaper narrated how they barely survive in the city and paying through the nose to fend for themselves and their families.
‘The huts in the camps are built with cornstalks and tarpaulin and the residents have been staying here with no improvement to their lives since their village was sacked by Boko Haram insurgents in 2016,’ the report said.
However, a FACT-CHECK investigation by MaidawaArewa have suggested that some of the information in the report were false and inadequate.
This reporter can confirmed that some of the IDPs mentioned and whose photos were displayed in the report are not IDPs but residents of Damaturu.
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Findings by this newspaper can confirmed also that some of their sources of income and means of livelihood were inadequate in the report.
Also, the IDPs lack of access to healthcare and education as stated in the report are not entirely true.
FINDINGS
According to PREMIUM TIMES, Binta Hassan, popularly known as ‘Ya Bintu’ one of the IDPs and a mother of four works as a labourer in private farms to feed herself and children. It noted that she earns only N400 for five working hours daily for that amount.
The report explained that Binta’s husband, who sometimes lives away from home for days or a week, used to be rich but now works as a labourer.
However, this reporter can confirmed that Mrs. Binta aka Ya Bintu, is not living in any IDP camp but in a block-built house in the community.
She is also a popular local food vendor whose major patronizers are builders and labourers engaging in construction works in the area.
After the death of her first husband, Mrs Binta also known as Ya Bintu remarry an aged man, recognized in the community as Papa, an electrician who also works as a guard for a construction company working at Yobe State University, (YSU) in Damaturu.
According to sources in the community, her husband earns about N30,000 monthly from the company and he spends most of his days at home.
YBC is a community opposite YSU and was named after Yobe Broadcasting Commission, a government facility located in the area.
Zainab Jibrin, aged 70, is another IDP interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, who according to the report is raising five grandchildren at the camp.
In the report, she claimed to have escaped through the insurgents to reside in Damaturu after walking for 20 kilometers with her grandchildren.
The claim that Zainab and her grandchildren are IDPs living in the camp is false.
This newspaper can confirmed that Zainab, recognized also as Iya-Abu in the community, has been a resident of Damaturu even before the Boko-Haram crisis and works as a cleaner at YSU.
She is also not living in any IDP camp but inside her block-built house at YBC, away from the said camp.
According to her eldest son, Dan-Lami, his mother is a widow with four grandchildren from her eldest daughter that passed away about two decades ago.
While two among are currently married, one, recognized as Bala, is a staff at YSU and the other who is currently running a diploma certificate program at YSU, also engages in menial jobs.
Dan-Lami also has three children and are all under his care.
Maimuna Abubakar, aged ten is also among the IDPs interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, who according to its findings is an out of school child since the displacement of her community in Gada.
The paper reported that Maimuma couldn’t go back to class due to unavailability of school in the area.
However, our findings indicated that Maimuna is not out of school as she is a pupil at Bukar Ali Primary School in Damaturu.
Also in the community, a basic school program was introduced by a Non governmental Organization, NGO in the community free of charge.
The NGO built a school facility under the SDG program.
According to a lady in the community, Apiah, (surname withheld), she was contracted to teach at the NGO’s school on a contract basis, but the contract ended year ago.
On healthcare needs, the report indicated that the IDPs travel for many kilometers to access healthcare services at Katarko, a community outskirts of Damaturu.
However, the Damaturu General Hospital, a government facility, is a walking distance away from the location of the IDPs camp.
The IDPs in the PREMIUM TIMES report also claims that they have been receiving support from Yobe State government during the former Governor Ibrahim Geidam tenure but has stopped in the current administration of the state.
Abdullahi Usman, the IDP camp leader, who made the claim said he has made several efforts to reach out to Yobe State Emergency Management Agency, YOSEMA for support but there was no success.
The report also said that efforts to reach YOSEMA executive secretary, Dr. Mohammed Goje for comment was unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on that regard.
When contacted to comment on the developing events, however, Dr. Goje said that he didn’t receive any call or SMS on the issue.
Musa Amshi, a resident of YBC in an interview with this reporter said that he is not aware if the IDPs at the camp had been enjoying government interventions but they have been receiving support from different NGOs time to time.
He also confirmed that Mr. Usman, the camp coordinator, also known as Malam Audu, is not living in the camp.
‘He has a big house which he built in this community and he even build a mosque in front of the house. That man is worth millions, so I don’t understand how someone like him will be complaining about abject poverty,’ Amshi said.
Isa Yakubu, an IDP at YBC camp said that they are receiving monthly support from several NGOs with stipends and every beneficiary is registered on a particular phone sim card given to them.
Other residents of Damaturu who speak to this reporter said that although IDPs everywhere face difficulty and challenges, the issue of hunger in the country is now common everywhere.
‘IDPs are even lucky to get interventions from NGOs sometimes, what about us the host communities, we are equally suffering and I will advice them to go out like everyone and work to fend for themselves not to continue complaining,’ a Damaturu resident who claims anonymity said.
Responding to the claim that IDPs in Yobe State are abandoned by government, YOSEMA boss said that their agency is one of the best in responding to emergencies in the country.
This he said can be seen from the commendations, recognitions and awards they had received during the current administration.
While explaining that YOSEMA does not fail in responding to any emergencies under his watch, he noted that his principal, Governor Mai Mala Buni has never relent or shown hesitation on issues relating to IDPs, vulnerable groups and victims of disasters in the state and is prompt in his response and directives.
Verdict
According to the findings highlighted above, several information in the report by PREMIUM TIMES are false and inadequate.
