At a quarter to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 3, this reporter set out on a journey to Maradi in Niger Republic. The take-off point was the border town of Sabon Birni, Sokoto, Northwest Nigeria. The destination was a refugee camp that housed tens of thousands of people from Nigeria who had become displaced due …
Read more “From Niger Republic To Sokoto … A Night Journey Through ‘Bandit’ Areas”
The series is based on a 16-day field trip that cuts across various communities in Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara affected by banditry in the Northwest. It focuses on the experiences of the various pockets and gatherings of Internally Displaced People and refugees — the attacks on their communities and their struggling realities as IDPs. The …
To be infected with HIV as a displaced person in Northeast Nigeria is to find yourself in hot water. No thanks to the Boko Haram insurgency, essential health services are unavailable in the rural communities. Funding is not enough to accommodate the special needs of people living with the virus. And, many would rather die …
Read more “The Discreet Lives Of Women Living With HIV In Nigerian IDP Camps”
Between Sept. 26 and Oct. 13, 2020, this conflict reporter was in the Borno state capital to cover how the decade-old Boko Haram insurgency was affecting displaced people. Here he shares parts of his on-the-ground journal entries. I The first thing you notice is the difference in vegetation. From the sky, you see a lot …
Read more “18 Days In Maiduguri: Excerpts From A Reporter’s Diary”
The first time she was released from the detention centre, Ya’ana was told she would be locked up again if she ever narrated her ugly experience to anyone. But then, that is exactly what she does. “Hajja Ya’ana has come!” Unlike the other people she entered with, Ya’ana Kaumi*, 42, was not a strange face …
Read more “Relatively Few Women Have Been Detained At Giwa Barracks. Ya’ana Was There Twice.”
Photos often used by local media organisations to represent criminal herdsmen in Nigeria have been found to have roots in Kenya, South Sudan and Tanzania. Clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria have recently drawn more attention, especially with increased tension and hostilities in the southern region. On the downside, misleading information around the subject …
Read more “These Photos Of Armed Herders Were Not Taken In Nigeria”
The authors say proceeds from the book will be used to fund educational needs in Chibok, especially for the families of survivors. When terrorists successfully abduct a group of civilians and hold them hostage for a long time, public discussions often suggest that the road to their rescue is straightforward, typically involving the swift deployment …
Read more “Hidden Roles Mediators Played In Securing Chibok Girls’ Release”
Both were sent off to two death zones, the husband to the Giwa military barracks and the wife to the Bama Hospital IDP camp. Luckily, after several years, they made it out alive to tell their stories of adversity and resilience. ‘The women cannot farm, or go to fetch water and firewood. And when the …
Read more “Separated By Military, A Borno Couple’s Uphill Journey Back To Each Other”
The spread of the new coronavirus variant and the panic it has created have led to the emergence of a fresh wave of harmful conspiracy theories. And for the world to fully beat the pandemic, all hands must be on the deck to fight misinformation arising from them. Said to be as old as politics, …
Read more “Why Conspiracy Theories Can Be As Misleading As They Are Convincing”
Asides the loss of loved ones and properties that come with violent conflicts, there is also an undeniable mental toll it takes on the survivors. Because of its sheer scale, addressing the problem has been daunting in Nigeria’s northeast region, which has experienced a decade-long insurgency. But one non-governmental organisation has taken up the challenge. …
Read more “Traumatised Insurgency Victims In Northeast Nigeria Gradually Getting Help”