Cost of living: Life was better under Boko Haram – Families of repentant terrorists lament

Displaced people in Borno State have expressed dissatisfaction and threatened to return to territories held by the terrorist organization Boko Haram.

The displaced people, who took sanctuary in camps owing to the insurgency, cited starvation and terrible living conditions as their key reasons for considering such a dramatic step.

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According to reports, other Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as family members of repentant Boko Haram fighters have issued similar threats.

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The common issue revolves around the alleged negligence by authorities, particularly in supplying everyday necessities such as food.

READ ALSO: 87 Chibok girls still in Boko Haram captivity – Rep member

Claiming that life was comparatively better under Boko Haram occupation, some IDPs and family members of repentant insurgents argue that the present circumstances in the camps are unbearable.

The lack of necessities and the absence of available farmlands for cultivation have fueled discontent among the displaced population.

READ ALSO: 87 Chibok girls still in Boko Haram captivity – Rep member

A resident in one of the IDP camps, expressing the prevailing sentiment, lamented, “We took the decision to leave our families behind and relocate to the Boko Haram-controlled area because it is all about dying whether here or there.”

The families of repentant Boko Haram fighters echo these sentiments, asserting that the hardships in the camps have left them with no option but to consider returning to the territories controlled by the insurgent group.

Reacting to the development, Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum dismissed the complaints as baseless, stating, “Those who want to return to Boko Haram in the bush are free to do so.”