Babagana Umara Zulum has ordered the immediate closure of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Bama, citing growing security concerns, including the infiltration of criminal elements and an increase in illegal activities within the facility.
The governor announced the decision on Thursday during a visit to Gwoza Local Government Area, where he inspected the Government Secondary School IDP camp as part of his ongoing assessment of humanitarian facilities and resettlement programmes across the state.
Addressing displaced persons at the camp, Zulum disclosed that the Bama camp had already undergone a comprehensive screening exercise and directed that it be shut down immediately.
“We visited Bama yesterday and supervised the screening of IDPs, and by 12 noon (Thursday), the Bama IDP camp should be closed,” the governor said.
He further revealed that authorities had completed the profiling of residents in the Gwoza IDP camp and indicated that the facility would also be shut down within the next few weeks.
“Today we are here in Gwoza, we have profiled all of them, and insha Allah, in the next two or three weeks, this camp will also be closed,” he stated.
Governor Zulum explained that the decision to close the camps was based on the significant improvement in security across many communities that were previously under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.
According to him, sustained military operations and ongoing stabilisation efforts have restored relative peace in several parts of Borno State, creating favourable conditions for displaced residents to return to their ancestral communities and rebuild their lives.
The governor, however, expressed deep concern over what he described as the increasing criminality within some IDP camps, warning that facilities originally established to provide humanitarian protection had gradually become centres for unlawful activities.
He said intelligence reports and security assessments indicated that criminal elements had infiltrated some camps, leading to a rise in social vices and threatening the safety of genuine displaced persons.
Zulum stressed that the government could no longer ignore the security implications of maintaining camps where illicit activities were becoming widespread.
He maintained that while humanitarian support for displaced families would continue, the focus of the state government had shifted toward sustainable resettlement, rehabilitation and community reintegration rather than prolonged dependence on camp settlements.
The governor assured camp residents that the closure exercise would be carried out in an organised manner, with the government continuing to provide support through housing, food assistance, livelihood programmes and access to basic social services in resettled communities.
He noted that the profiling exercise conducted in both Bama and Gwoza was intended to ensure that only genuine beneficiaries received government assistance and that the transition process remained transparent and orderly.
The Borno State Government has, in recent years, intensified efforts to close IDP camps across the state capital and other local government areas, arguing that returning displaced persons to secure communities is essential for restoring normalcy after years of insurgency.
The administration has simultaneously invested in rebuilding homes, schools, healthcare facilities, markets and public infrastructure in communities devastated by the insurgency to encourage safe and voluntary returns.
Security agencies and humanitarian partners are expected to work closely with the state government during the closure process to ensure that vulnerable persons, including women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities, receive the necessary support throughout the transition.
Governor Zulum reiterated his administration’s commitment to restoring lasting peace across Borno State, stating that the ultimate goal is to enable displaced families to regain their dignity and livelihoods while ensuring that communities remain secure and free from criminal infiltration.
He added that the government would continue to monitor the security situation in resettled areas and strengthen collaboration with the military and other security agencies to consolidate the gains made in the fight against insurgency and create a safer environment for all residents.
