It stated that intelligence report had it that some Boko Haram commanders, who survived an air assault on the night of 20 August 2016, leading to the death of over 300 insurgents, had sustained serious injuries and were said to have relocated to the camp at Tumbun Rego for medical treatment.
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Speaking during the launch of two books by Dr. Hadiza Isa Wada titled, “Boko Haram: The Charade vs. Reality” and “The Life and Times of Umaru Turakin Bauchi”, Prof Abdullahi said, “You ask the question where did Boko Haram got their sophistication and articulation from?”
Irabor’s base on the outskirts of Maiduguri, a sprawling military complex with rows of residential blocks for officers, is the most visible sign of a shake-up introduced by Buhari, a former military ruler.
Maiduguri is estimated to host 1.2 million to 2 million refugees but only a fraction stay in the camps because, as The Daily Trust newspaper reported Tuesday: ‘Most of the camps have become centers of hunger, malnutrition and communicable diseases’.
As the government investigates the theft of food aid by officials there, children are dying of starvation in the camps in northeastern Nigeria’s largest city.
“There are some politicians exploiting the IDP (internally displaced persons) situation for political purposes, by spreading rumours about food stealing”, said Isa Gusau, spokesman for the state governor, Kashim Shettima. Shettima’s office said refugees will now get food directly to cook themselves. That poses challenges, as the refugees will need charcoal for fires, cooking oil and clean water.
According to NAF, the leaders of the terrorists group, who escaped with severe injuries from the helicopter gunship attack, had gathered at a new camp in Northern Borno State for their murderous plans when the aircraft hit them directly. A businessman who was there the day before said he watched a truckload of food aid arrive, wait and then leave with all the food.
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Parents living in the refugee camps complain that there is not enough food, and when it does arrive, it is insubstantial. The businessman spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing his government contracts.
