Surrendered insurgents say they would rather live with the fighters again than starve to death in internally displaced persons’ camps in Borno State.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has unexpectedly cut aid to at least 11,320 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in two local government areas in Borno State prompting some starving surrendered insurgents and their families to return to live with the fighters in the forests.

The WFP is an international organisation within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It has been working in the Damboa and Dikwa local government areas in Borno for about eight years.

But suddenly, this month, aid to at least 11,320 beneficiaries was stopped. The organisation has not yet released any information about the reason for the cut in aid.

In Dikwa, of 25,000 beneficiaries about 10,000 did not receive aid this month. In Damboa, of 7,093 people, 1,320 did not receive anything from the WFP.

Aid is given monthly in the form of vouchers for food and the amount depends on the number of children in the household. The organisation allocates ₦7,000 for each child in the house.

So, those with three children or less get ₦21,000; those with four children get ₦28,000, those with five ₦35,000, and so on.

The voucher card is given to each beneficiary, allowing them to access food from vendors in the two local government areas.

Hauwa Modu, from the Dikwa Local Government Area, said: “We have been receiving WFP aid for about eight years and it has really help us. I live with my 15 grandchildren whose parents have died. Those of us who have had our aid cut don’t know why. I hope that our names will be added again to the list of people who receive WFP aid. We usually get ₦7,000 per child in a household and this has really helped us to survive. I went as normal to get food this month and that is when I discovered that no money had been added to our account. I am sad and desperate. I really don’t know why my name is not on the list any longer. How am I going to feed all my grandchildren?”

Bakura Abatcha told RNI that he had gone to the vendor as usual to get food for the month.

“But unfortunately, my voucher card showed that no money had been sent to my account this month. There are many of us in Dikwa who depend on that money. I have been receiving aid from the WFP for about seven years. I live in an IDP camp in Dikwa and I do not have any other means to make a living.

“If we are no longer going to receive aid we will starve. It will be better for me to return to the fighters in the forest than to starve here. I am so desperate that I am willing to face getting caught by security personnel than to stay here and starve.”

Lawan Mohammed, a traditional leader from Dikwa, told RNI that about 10,000 people in the district had not received aid.

“About 25,000 people normally get aid from the WFP. For 10,000 to lose that aid is just going to cause huge problems for a lot of people in the community. We know already that some of the people, who are surrendered Boko Haram [Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād – JAS] insurgents and lived in the IDP camp have gone back to the fighters in the forest because of the aid cut.

“We have heard that there are more who plan to go back to the insurgents because they depend on the WFP aid and have no other means of making money. They believe that the insurgents will give them food and that they will have a better way of life in the forests with the insurgents.

“The aid cut has also affected those people with health problems. Many people are suffering with hypertension and many have fallen sick because of hunger.”
Lawan said he knew of at least 13 surrendered insurgents who had taken their wives and children with them and had returned to the forest.

“This cut is having a devasting effect on many people. It has even led some people to divorce. This is a big issue and it could escalate into a crisis of alarming proportions. The government and traditional leaders need to get together to find a solution.

“Since the WFP has been in Dikwa, Damboa and other places, it has done an excellent job in preventing deterioration of food security. We are just praying that the organisation will continue its aid. There are many people who are so poor that without help from organisations such as the WFP they will die of hunger.”

Mallam Mohammed, the secretary of Masarmari, a surrendered insurgents’ camp in Dikwa, told RNI that there were many people who were “in bad shape” because of the aid cut.

“It has led at least five surrendered insurgents to return to the fighters in the forest. They said they had nothing to keep them here and they did not want to starve to death. The wives and children of these men have also returned to the forest – at least 10 of them that I know of. They told us they were being driven back because of hunger.

“I call on WFP and the Borno State government to find a solution. If they do not, I am certain many more surrendered insurgents will return to the forest.”

Mohammed Shettima, a civilian joint task force (CJTF) member in Damboa, is one of the beneficiaries who did not receive the aid voucher this month.

“I did not receive the usual aid. I have not heard anything about why the organisation has cut aid to 1,320 in the Damboa district. I am in debt. I plan to give the food voucher to the vendor who gave me food. But it’s already more than halfway through the month and I still have not received the voucher. I don’t know how I am going to repay my debt. The voucher helps us to buy food for the month. Without it, I don’t know how I will be able to provide enough food for my family.”

Yazara Alhaji Modu also did not get aid this month.

“We really depend on the aid voucher. I did not expect this to happen now when we are experiencing such great hardship. We are completely dependent on the aid. I am a single mother with eight children. I usually get a voucher for ₦56,000, which is enough to sustain all of us. I do not have any savings, so I really don’t know how we will cope this month. Only God knows what will happen to us next.”

FALMATA MOHAMMED ALI