Government Accused Of Lying To IDPs About Boko Haram

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Gwoza in Borno state have contradicted a recent claim by the federal government and the military that Boko Haram does not control a single town in Nigeria.

IDP spokesman Filimi Emmanuel said Gwoza and other towns in the state are controlled by the terrorists and claimed that they were being pressured by the federal government through the National Emergency Agency (NEMA) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to return home to prove the militants have been defeated.

“NEMA and the NHRC have continually told us we will go back to our villages that Boko Haram has been pushed out of our villages, which is not true,” Emmanuel said.

IDPs from Gwoza

“No military went to our villages. There is no military in Gwoza as our villages are controlled by Boko Haram.

“Take our complaints to the National Assembly. You can help us to talk to the Chief of Army Staff so that he can send soldiers to our villages to flush out the insurgents,” Emmanuel pleaded.

“If we are able to confirm that Boko Haram has been flushed out from our villages, even, tomorrow, we are ready to go back.”

Interior minister Abdulrahman Dambazau said the federal government has expressed its commitment to restoring order to the troubled northeast, noting that sustaining peace in the devastated region is as good as winning the war against terrorism.

He made the comment while playing host to a delegation from the West Africa Conflict and Security Team in Abuja yesterday, adding that the activities of Boko Haram have become a national headache.

Interior Minister Abdulraman Dambazau

“We know that the ministry has been up and doing in dealing with insurgency in the north-east but it does not stop at winning the war but also winning the peace,” he said.

“This is where the Ministry of Interior comes in. We want to assure you that we will do everything possible to support you to bring back peace in that region after the military would have won the war.

“So, for us here, whatever we can do to add value to the effort you are making we are ready to do that. Like I said, terrorism is a global problem and terrorism is beyond the north-east.”