Boko Haram: Displaced persons take over churches in Borno

Thousands of internally-displaced persons have stormed churches in Borno State for refuge.

The internally-displaced persons decided to seek refuge in the places of worship after members of the Boko Haram terrorist group sacked their communities.

Some of the churches where the internally-displaced persons are taking refuge, Saturday PUNCH learnt are the Assembly of God, Wulari; Church of the Brethren in Nigeria popularly known as EYN, Wulari; and the RCCG Redeemers’ House also in Wulari.

Saturday PUNCH also learnt that one of the churches had equally rented houses in Maiduguri to accommodate the victims, aside those accommodated at the Christian Association of Nigeria’s office in the Borno State capital.

As the crisis confronting the internally-displaced persons is biting harder, the Caritas Nigeria and JDPC, the humanitarian and human development organs of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, also confirmed that multitudes of IDPs had overwhelmed churches in Borno.

The Executive Secretary, Caritas Nigeria/JDPC, Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey, during an interactive session with journalists on the state of the nation in Calabar during the week, said that the situation portrayed Nigeria as a country in a state of war which required support for internally-displaced persons. He said the clerics were overwhelmed by the multitudes of people seeking shelter and protection in churches in Borno State.

Bassey said, “Our churches are overwhelmed by displaced persons. They have run out of resources. We need to support them.

“Imagine being a refugee in your own country! Imagine running for hours for safety. Imagine not being certain if you will eat or not for days. Imagine having to sleep in the hills for days and weeks. Imagine not having a bath for days and wearing same clothes.

Another cleric in the city, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie, in a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH, said, “It is true. Since many of our churches have been taken over by the insurgents, our members have fled to the city and are now sleeping in the churches here.

“In Mubi, a town between Adamawa State and Maiduguri State for instance, we have 13 parishes, which also have sub-stations. As I am talking to you now, over 200 churches have been overtaken by the insurgents. These guys are under control of everything. Our members who are in those churches have now fled and are residing in some of the churches in Maiduguri.

Obasogie further said, “They are saying the military have recaptured Bama; they didn’t recapture anything. The insurgents only relocated to Gwoza and it will be only a few days till they are back. We have written to the Bishop of Maiduguri. We have over 10,000 persons that have been displaced who have nowhere to stay.”

“There is suffering here; there is no water, no food, no medical care and the rest. People are really suffering. As I am talking to you now, we have residents here who are caught up on mountains while trying to cross over from here to Cameroun. Some are staying on grasses, exposed to the harsh weather. We have the pregnant, aged, children and the young who are suffering. The situation is very pathetic around here.

“You see displaced people in churches, hospitals, NYSC camp. These things are not being shown on the TV. These insurgents are coming here in the next few days. They have already taken over the major towns and it is even possible in 30 minutes from now, they can take over Maiduguri. They know what they are doing; they have blocked all the exits and now there is only one exit from Maiduguri.

Terrorist attacks have disrupted farming and other economic activities in Borno and Adamawa states, according to residents.

Saturday PUNCH also learnt that no fewer than 3,000 internally-displaced persons have been registered in Adamawa State Emergency Relief Agency at the NYSC orientation camp in Bajabure in Girei Local Government Area of the state.

It was also gathered that some residents were still hiding in the bush for fear of the Boko Haram attack.

The Boko Haram had taken over some communities such as Gwoza and Bama in Borno State as well as Michika, Gulak and Uba in Adamawa State.

Of the 3, 000 internally-displaced persons registered in Adamawa State, three quarter of them are children and women, including expectant mothers.

In an interview with one of our correspondents, the Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Emergency Relief Agency, Alhaji Haruna Furo, said, “Adequate arrangements have been put in place to cater for the welfare of the victims.

“Most of the registered victims came from Michika, Madagali Local Government areas in Adamawa State and Damboa, Izge and Gwoza in Borno State”.

Some of the victims shared their experiences with Saturday PUNCH. They said they trekked long distance from their communities before boarding vehicles to Yola.

They added that they paid three times the transport fares they used to pay from either Michika or Madagali to Yola.

Dada Abba from Madagali said, “We lost contacts with our husbands since we fled our homes. I paid N10, 000 from Madagali to Yola with my four kids.”

Salisu Mohammed and Adamu Nasco both from Gwoza in Borno State said, “We left the town because insurgents have burnt our houses. We first left for Mubi, but on getting information that the place would be attacked, we left for Yola.”