Shettima: Boko Haram killed 100,000 people, displaced over 2 million

Kashim Shettima, Borno state governor, says 100,000 people have been killed in the Boko Haram insurgency.

Speaking at the 2017 edition of Murtala Muhammed memorial lecture in Abuja on Monday, Shettima said more than two million people – mostly women and children have also been displaced by the crisis in the northeast.

He said property worth $9bn has been destroyed as well.

“The Boko Haram insurgency has led to deaths of almost 100,000 persons going by the estimates of our community leaders over the years,” he said.

“Two million, one hundred and fourteen thousand (2,114,000) persons have become internally displaced as at December of 2016 with five hundred and thirty seven thousand, eight hundred and fifteen (537,815) in separate camps; 158,201 are at official camps that consists of six centres with two transit camps at muna and custom house both in Maiduguri.

“There are 379,614 IDPS at 15 satellite camps comprising of Ngala, Monguno, Bama, Banki, Pulka, Gwoza, Sabon Gari and other locations in the state. 73,404 persons were forced to become refugees in neighbouring countries with Niger having 11,402 and Cameroon having 62,002. We have an official record of 52,311 orphans who are separated and unaccompanied. We have 54,911 widows who have lost their husbands to the insurgency and about 9,012 have returned back to various communities of Ngala, Monguno, Damboa,Gwoza and Dikwa.

“Based on the post insurgency Recovery and Peace Building Assessment (RPBA) Report on the north-east which was jointly validated by the World Bank, the European Union, the presidency and the six states of the north-east, the Boko Haram has inflicted damages to the tune of 9 billion US dollars in the region.

The governor said “hundreds of well-known rich farmers and transporters, among many others of the mercantile class, have become thoroughly pauperised and rendered dependent on food aid”.

He also said that thousands of children have suffered various degrees of acute malnutrition owing to a long stay in captivity and entrapment and complex problems associated with the management of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

“These include poor humanitarian relief delivery method (initially experienced), and cases of diversion of food by officials and volunteers,” he added.