The mass exodus of Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) into Abuja from different troubled spots in the crisis-ridden North East zone and other parts of the country, has assumed a very alarming dimension. This development has posed serious concerns to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) authorities. JOSEPHINE ELLA-EJEH examines the growing trend and how the administration is managing it.
From a paltry figure of 3, 857 in 2014, their number has now skyrocketed to over 10, 000 as at the last count and the exodus of Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) to the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) is still continuing. With appearances that evoke sympathy and empathy, they come to the nation’s capital for safety and succor and some have been living there for between three and four years. However, others have spent lesser number of years while many others have just arrived. Everyone among them has a peculiar pathetic story to tell about how they managed to escape unhurt from their respective locations. Having either lost a father or a mother or bread winner of the family and with their means of livelihood destroyed, the only option available to them was to seek refuge elswhere. For most of them, that was how they found their ways to Abuja.
IDP settlements in Abuja
As at 2015, there were just four IDPs settlement in Abuja but the number has increased to over 30. Some of the notable settlements include Gongola/Karimajiji settlement, Waru settlement, Yemetu, Zinda, New Kuchigoro, Apo, Wasa, Dagba, Area One, Bwari, Lugbe settlements among others.
The IDPs live in inhabitable shanties and makeshift structures, made from torn sacks, sticks and wood, uncompleted buildings and in some cases, the shelters are made from rusted corrugated iron zincs.
Expectedly, basic amenities are lacking as the IDP camps are most times not fit for decent human settlement.
Similarly, many of the IDPs are generally unkempt and have tattered appearance with despondency vividly written on their faces. For them, the future is bleak as their fate hangs in the balance. However, the FCT Emergency Management Agency, in the last two years, has been mobilizing assistance to cushion the effects of the harsh living condition.
IDP camps not recognised by FCT
In an interview with Blueprint Weekend, the Director-General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss explained the IDPs’ settlements in Abuja are not government-recognized settlements because the displaced persons are residing outside their locations, especially the areas that are bedeviled by crisis.
For this reason, the FCT administration cannot build conducive camps for them as doing so will encourage a higher influx to the city. However, FCT is assisting them in other ways, the DG of FEMA explained. According to Alhaji Abbas, the IDPs formed these colonies on their own without any official approval and as every Nigerian is at liberty to decide where he or she wants to reside, it becomes practically impossible to curtail the unprecedented influx.
“All the IDPs in the FCT are residing in the settlements on their own. They are not government settlements. It is their own settlements and government did not set up any camps. That is why we don’t call them camps but settlements and so wherever these displaced persons came to settle, we follow them and give them some backups,” he further explained.
The DG said each settlement has a chairman, a vice chairman, woman leader and the village chief who assist in coordinating the IDPs and authenticating genuine ones. According to him, the FCT authorities ‘’network with them and security agencies, by going to the main camps where they give us information about new arrivals and those who have left the camps to a new location.’’
Mobilising assistance for IDPs
Although they are not government recognized, Idriss said the FCT administration has taken the responsibility of catering for some of their most pressing needs and also mobilizing assistance for them from government and local as well as international Non Government Organisations.
“We take care of their health, we give them some assistance. We coordinate other donors to come and donate what they have so that we assist them until such time when they return back to their places and that is deliberate and in consonant with international best practice where you have displacement.” The DG observed that all humanitarian organizations operating before in Abuja, have moved to the troubled areas, just to discourage people from moving into the FCT. However, rather than remaining in their areas to get a lifeline, the so called IDPs trooped to Abuja and the FCT.
Direct assistance to IDPs
Apart from mobilizing resources from NGOs to ameliorate their sufferings, the FCT administration through FEMA, is also providing succor to the IDPs, especially by providing free medical treatment for them and enrolling them in schools. According to Idriss, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has designated Wuse and Asokoro district hospitals to offer free medical healthcare for all the IDPs in the FCT at the expense of FEMA.
In addition, the DG said that the agency has enrolled 82, 000 children of the IDPs into public schools and provided them with all learning materials. Particularly, from 2016 to date, about 563 internally displaced children from different camps were enrolled in primary schools, 300 of senior secondary schools levels were enrolled at Praise Catholic Church at Gwarimpa.
The DG further said that in the last three weeks, over 200 children of the IDPs were enrolled in Junior Secondary Schools at Apo, Wasa and New Kuchigoro settlements. According to him, the enrollment is continuous because more IDPs are arriving and “ if we keep leaving them they will become something else to the society.’’
Alhaji Idris said that FEMA was unable to enroll the children into Junior Secondary Schools ‘’last year because we could not identify schools that are close to their camps that could accommodate them but we have now consulted the FCT Secondary Universal Basic Education Board( SUBEB) to help us locate schools that will take them.’’ He also commended the security agencies for embarking on thorough screening of IDPs that are trooping to the FCT, to ensure that they don’t constitute security risks.
Lobbying the IDPs to return back home
As part of measures to manage the situation, he said the FEMA has been encouraging people to return home where humanitarian organizations are doing a lot of charity work to cushion the effect of the insurgency. In spite of this persuasion, the agency plans to evacuate them back to their respective states.
“There was plan to move people who were willing to go back but along the line, we had some technical hitches which we had to postpone and it involves all the stakeholders, not only FEMA, including security,” he said.
According to Alhaji Idriss, ‘’as soon as there is clearance, that all their villages are safe now, we can move all those who are willing now and then those who are not willing will remain.”
Going by how settled some of these IDPs are in the FCT and given the opportunities that abound, evacuating them is easier said than done.
