News
Panic As Buhari seeks explanation on malnourished, dying IDPs
By Ibrahim WAKIL, Maiduguri There has been panic among Borno state government officials ahead of a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on the condition of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the state. Officials of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA boarded a flight that left Maiduguri ahead of the meeting with the president at the Aso Rock villa. President Buhari is said to be angry at reports that persons displaced by the Boko Haram, who are currently seeking refuge at government owned camps, have been dying of malnutrition despite the billions of naira and materials provided by the federal government, state governments, non-governmental organisations and private individuals to assist the displaced persons. The President is expected to seek explanations especially following the recent statement and photographs released by Doctors without Borders (MSF) showing malnourished persons in the camps. It would be recalled that last week, the MSF issued a statement saying some 24,000 IDPs are in dire health situation with at least 30 people – mostly children – dying every day. Two weeks ago, the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, paid a visit to Bama camp upon receiving reports that hundreds of malnourished persons recently rescued from Boko Haram captivity were dying in a camp in Bama, 75km from Maiduguri, the state capital. Governor Shettima ordered the relocation of 61 children with acute condition of malnutrition to the intensive care unit of the Umaru Shehu Ultramodern Hospital in Maiduguri where they are currently being attended to. Another set of over 400 persons with lesser cases of malnourishment were also moved out of the camp to a special care unit for proper feeding and medication. However, before the Governor’s visit to Bama, dozens of the IDPs had died of hunger- induced ailments, an official said. An official at the camp told journalists that “We have been recording daily cases of mortality here in the camp since the soldiers brought in these set of IDPs who had been under the Boko Haram insurgents’ captivity for over two years.” A Borno official that visited the camp recently informed PREMIUM TIMES in Maiduguri that “the local camp officials in Bama could not notice the case of malnutrition in the IDPs hence they continued to feed them with the normal staple foods consumed by the camp inmates.” A philanthropist, Modupe Ozoluwa, also visited the camp together with Mr. Shettima the next day. She later released some pictures showing her carrying one of the malnourished children in Bama. The MSF officials visited the special care centre to treat the sick IDPs. They later issued a damning statement backed by disturbing images of malnutrition and deaths in the camps. “This is the first time MSF has been able to access Bama, but we already know the needs of the people there are beyond critical,” Ghada Hatim, MSF’ head of mission in Nigeria, said. “We are treating malnourished children in medical facilities in Maiduguri and see the trauma on the faces of our patients who have witnessed and survived many horrors. “Bama is largely closed off. We have been told that people including children there half starved to death. According to
the accounts given to MSF by displaced people in Bama new graves are appearing on a daily basis. We were told more than 30 people are dying a day due to hunger and illness”. The MSF statement reportedly provoked the presidency who then summoned the Borno officials to Abuja. Some agitated Borno emergency officials, unaware of the president’s plan, blamed the MSF for causing the state such embarrassment by insinuating that the Bama camp could not be accessed. Although the state government is yet to react to the MSF’s statement, an aide of Governor Shettima, who did not want to be quoted because he has not been granted leave to speak on the matter, accused the respected international organisation of insincerity. “The MSF had never visited the camps, even though other aid workers have been going to the camp frequently,” he said. “It was because the Governor visited Bama and brought the sick and malnourished IDPs to Maiduguri after the soldiers of the Nigeria Army rescued them that even the MSF were able to go there to administer medication on them. “But instead of acknowledging our effort they were busy issuing statements claiming credit for what they did not do”. The official provided an unofficial version of the reason for the malnourished and dying IDPs. “The Governor had visited the camp twice and the Deputy Governor too had also visited the camp couple of times and all these while life in the camp was normal,,” he said, “until soldiers rescued these group of malnourished persons early this month and moved them into the Bama camp.” “It was not as if the malnourishment was as a result of the situation in the camp but because of the torture and hunger the Boko Haram insurgents subjected them to over two years,” the official said.
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi Ajuloopin, has strongly condemned the recent attack in Idofin Odo-Ashe, Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State, describing it as a cowardly act that seeks to disrupt the peace and stability of the community.
Hon. Ajuloopin, in a statement personally signed by him, expressed deep concern over the unfortunate incident and sympathised with the victims, their families, and the entire community affected by the dastardly attack, emphasising that acts of violence have no place in a civilised society, and therefore urged security agencies to intensify efforts in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
While commending the swift response of both the federal and Kwara State governments, as well as the security agencies and local vigilante groups, the lawmaker reiterated that the fight against insecurity requires collective responsibility, calling on traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents to remain vigilant and cooperate fully with security operatives by providing timely and credible information.
“Security is everyone’s business. We cannot afford to leave the safety of our communities solely to government agencies. Every citizen must be actively involved in safeguarding our environment and ensuring that peace prevails,” Hon. Ajuloopin admonished.
He reaffirmed his commitment to continued collaboration with relevant authorities to ensure that lasting peace in all parts of Kwara South and beyond.
Hon. Ajuloopin also appealed for calm, assuring that both the federal and state governments are working tirelessly to address the root causes of insecurity and prevent future occurrences.
End
From Hassan Taiye
Governor Umar Namadi is currently in Cairo,Arab Republic of Egypt, attending the Third High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Rice Self-Sufficiency, holding from October 7th to 9th, 2025, in Cairo and Sakha.
The meeting, themed “Towards Rice-Based Agri-Food Systems Transformation and Delivering on Rice Self-Sufficiency through Peer-to-Peer Learning: The Case of the Arab Republic of Egypt,” is jointly organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, AfricaRice, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), and other key continental partners.
This high-level gathering brings together African Ministers of Agriculture, State Governors, and agricultural leaders to share practical experiences on achieving rice self-sufficiency and agricultural transformation.
The event will showcase Egypt’s remarkable progress in achieving rice self-sufficiency despite its limited water and land resources, offering valuable lessons adaptable to other African contexts.
Namadi is participating alongside top policymakers, agricultural experts, and private sector players from across Africa to discuss innovations, policy reforms, and strategic investments aimed at strengthening food security and transforming the agricultural sector on the continent.
Over the three-day programme, delegates will engage in high-level ministerial sessions, technical discussions, and a field visit to Egypt’s renowned Rice Research and Training Centre (RRTC) in Sakha.
During the visit, participants will interact directly with Egyptian scientists and farmers to learn about the country’s advancements in high-yield rice varieties, efficient irrigation systems, and modern post-harvest technologies.
Jigawa State’s participation in this important forum underscores the state’s commitment to agricultural transformation, food self-sufficiency, and consolidating Jigawa’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading hubs for rice production and agribusiness development.
The meeting is expected to conclude with a Ministerial Declaration setting a continental roadmap for achieving rice self-sufficiency through collaborative research, policy coordination, and targeted investment across the rice value chain.
Governor Namadi is accompanied by senior officials from the Jigawa State Ministry of Agriculture and related agencies.
By: Fabian Apechihin
Sociopolitical activist Aisha Yesufu has accused Nigerian political leaders of perpetuating what she described as a “political genocide” against Christians in Northern Nigeria.
Yesufu made the remark on Tuesday in response to American comedian and TV host Bill Maher, who recently alleged that Nigerian Christians are facing coordinated attacks.
Maher, speaking on his HBO show, said, “I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009 and burned 18,000 churches. These are the Islamists, Boko Haram.”
Reacting via her X handle, Yesufu criticized what she called hypocrisy among Nigerian politicians who express concern over Christian persecution yet supported the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket during the 2023 elections.
“You are shouting that Northern Christians are being persecuted, but you championed a Muslim-Muslim ticket! Their Christianity was not Christian enough for you during the 2023 election,” she wrote.
She concluded by calling for greater attention to what she termed the “political genocide” against Northern Christians, urging consistency in both words and actions when addressing religious and political marginalization in Nigeria.
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