News

One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

Published

3 months ago

June 8, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

By U.K. Umar

One year after armed attackers overran Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, a deepening humanitarian crisis continues to haunt the thousands of people who fled the invasion and now live in makeshift camps with no hope of return.

The silence that hangs over the once-thriving agrarian community of Allawa is not just physical, it is a silence of abandonment, neglect and despair.

Since the violent invasion of April 25, 2024, residents who escaped death have become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), living in overcrowded primary school buildings, market stalls and half-roofed compounds in neighbouring towns such as Kuta, Erena and Gwada.

Education has been disrupted. Food is uncertain. Healthcare is nearly non-existent. And worse, hope is fading.

At an abandoned block of classrooms now serving as a displacement shelter in Kuta, Zagazola Media Netowork, met Malam Musa Yakubu, a 47-year-old farmer and father of seven. He sat quietly under the shade of a neem tree, surrounded by three of his children, all barefooted and visibly malnourished.

“This place was once my children’s school. Now it is our home,” he said, forcing a smile. “We sleep on broken desks, on bare floor. During rainy nights, we cover ourselves with nylon bags. My wife cries often because she cannot feed our children.”

Malam Yakubu said he grew up in Allawa and owned over 15 hectares of farmland before the invasion. Today, he depends on handouts from well-wishers.

“The last time we received food aid was three months ago. Since then, we have been living on roasted yam and wild leaves. My children have not seen a classroom since we fled.”

Standing nearby was Amina Ibrahim, 16, who said she dropped out of Junior Secondary School following the attack. Now, she spends her days helping her mother hawk groundnuts in Kuta. I want to return to school,” she said quietly. “But how can I go to school when we have no home, no books, and no peace?”

‘My primary school is a ghost town’

For U.K. Umar, a former resident of Allawa and the writer of this report, the tragedy is personal.

“I attended Central Primary School in Allawa, which is now in ruins,” he recalled. “My childhood friends are now scattered across IDP camps. Some lost their parents. Some were taken by the attackers. We were not just displaced. We were forgotten.”

Umar said the displacement was not just the result of one attack, but a culmination of years of insecurity that was never addressed.

“What happened on April 25, 2024, was the final blow. Security agencies left, and armed groups moved in. What followed was a complete collapse of community life. Now, we are a forgotten people.”

Terror in the shadows

Reports from Shiroro LGA suggest that terror groups now control mining activities across several wards including Kurebe, Kwaki and Kushaka. Residents allegethat the attackers collect levies from artisanal gold miners up to N2 million per site every two weeks. Those who fail to comply are barred from mining, while others are punished.

“Their boys come during the day to collect fuel and money. At night, they disappear into the bush. They even settle disputes among locals. It is like a second government,” said a displaced youth who asked not to be named.

Just two weeks ago, five persons were reportedly abducted in Kwanta Yashi. Locals say they fear speaking out, as they are caught between hunger and violence.

‘Even water is a privilege’

In the Erena IDP settlement, Hajia Halima Abdullahi, 60, spoke through tears.

“I used to be a trader. I had goats and chickens. Now, I beg for drinking water. We fetch from a stream one hour away, and sometimes, we boil it. Other times, we drink it raw.”

She said many elderly displaced persons have developed hypertension and respiratory infections due to harsh conditions.

“There are no drugs. No doctors. Sometimes, we use herbs. Our children are falling sick every day.” It was also observed that the camps lack toilets, clean water, mosquito nets, and electricity. In some shelters, more than ten people sleep in one small room.

‘We feel abandoned’

There is growing frustration among displaced residents over what they describe as state government indifference.

“All we hear are promises. No concrete plan. No official has told us when we can return. It is as if our lives no longer matter,” said Ibrahim Zakari, a youth from Allawa now living in Gwada.

He appealed to the Niger State Government and the Federal Government to urgently intervene.
We are Nigerians too. We voted. We paid taxes. We built our homes and schools. Why have we been left to suffer?”

“You cannot keep over 20,000 displaced people in hopeless conditions for over a year and expect stability. Children are out of school. Teenage girls are being married off. Boys are joining vigilante groups. Trauma is spreading like wildfire,” he warned.

He called on the Federal Government to declare a humanitarian emergency in Shiroro LGA and mobilise the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as well as development partners, to scale up food, water, and shelter support.

“There must be a concrete, time-bound plan for resettlement. These people deserve to go home with safety, dignity, and support.”

Conclusion

One year after the fall of Allawa, the question remains: how long must a people wait?

As Niger State and the Federal Government grapple with rising insecurity, the forgotten people of Allawa continue to live in limbo displaced, distressed, and dangerously ignored.
Their pain is not history. It is ongoing. And unless urgent steps are taken, the crisis may deepen further.

“We have not died,” Malam Musa Yakubu said quietly. “But we are not living either.”

One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

News

Police repel bandit attack on DPO’s residence in Katsina

Published

16 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Police repel bandit attack on DPO’s residence in Katsina

By: Zagazola Makama

The Police Command in Katsina has repelled an attempted bandit attack on the residence of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Kankara Local Government Area of the state.

Sources said the attack occurred at about 6:00 p.m. on Aug. 30, when suspected armed bandits sneaked into the Local Education Authority (LEA) Quarters in Kankara, where the DPO resides.

According to sources, policemen on guard duty engaged the hoodlums in a gunfight and successfully repelled the attack, forcing them to retreat into the bush.

The sources added that no casualty was recorded, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

Police repel bandit attack on DPO’s residence in Katsina

News

Warri Federal Constituency: Don Hails HURIWA’s Call On INEC To Obey S’Court Ruling

Published

17 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Warri Federal Constituency: Don Hails HURIWA’s Call On INEC To Obey S’Court Ruling

By: Michael Mike

A university don, Prof. Ben Binebai, has applauded the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) for throwing its weight behind the quest for justice and fairness by the marginalised Ijaw and Urhobo communities in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

Binebai, a professor of Theatre Arts with the Niger Delta University (NDU), lauded the rights group for condemning the alleged flagrant refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission to implement the December 2022 Supreme Court judgment “on the fresh delineation of electoral wards and units in the constituency.”

“This landmark judgment, delivered on 2 December 2022, was a beacon of hope for the marginalised Ijaw and Urhobo communities, who have long suffered the pangs of historical injustices and electoral irregularities,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

“The Supreme Court’s judgment was a masterstroke of judicial wisdom, crafted to rectify the anomalies of the past and usher in a new era of electoral justice.

“HURIWA’s stance is a testament to the group’s unshakeable commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of the downtrodden.

“By aligning itself with the grievances raised by the Ijaw and Urhobo communities, HURIWA has demonstrated its unrelenting dedication to ensuring that the voices of the marginalised are heard and their rights respected.”

He wondered why INEC and the Federal Government are allegedly subverting the ruling of the highest court in the land, stressing that the “Supreme Court ordered INEC to conduct a fresh delineation of all wards and polling units in Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North Local Government Areas.”

He further said, “This judgment was a response to long-standing complaints of fictitious wards, inequitable distribution of polling units, and gross irregularities that had tilted the balance of representation against the indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo people.

“The judgment was a clarion call to INEC to redeem its mandate and uphold the Constitution, and HURIWA’s support for the judgment is a testament to its commitment to justice and fairness.

“HURIWA’s position is clear: INEC’s refusal to implement the Supreme Court’s judgment is not only reckless but also a dangerous signal of institutional lawlessness that undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.”

Binebai insisted that any voter registration or electoral process carried out in Warri without fresh delineation is null and void, as well as a violation of the rule of law.

“I urge INEC to take HURIWA’s concerns seriously and do the needful by enforcing justice on the Warri Federal Constituency ward delineation.

“The people of Warri deserve fair representation, and it is imperative that their rights are respected and protected.

“HURIWA’s stance is a reminder that the rule of law and democracy must be upheld, and I commend their efforts in promoting justice and fairness in Nigeria,” he concluded.

Warri Federal Constituency: Don Hails HURIWA’s Call On INEC To Obey S’Court Ruling

News

NGO Asked Nigerians to Confront Government on Bad Governance

Published

17 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

NGO Asked Nigerians to Confront Government on Bad Governance

By: Michael Mike

The Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria, (MOTiON), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has expressed the need for Nigerians to confront government with the challenges they are facing as a result of absence of good governance especially as regards insecurity and non-availability of needed infrastructure.

The NGO made the call at the weekend during a visit to Gaube Community, in Kuje area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Members of the MOTION, who visited the community on a pre-launch community visit offered the opportunity for members of the community to understand government actions and how they affect their standard of living.

A member of MOTION, Mr Abdullahi Bilal, emphasized the poor assess to roads in the community which has affected the movement of people and goods in the community.

He said: “If we had invited the community members to the town, we might not have been able to relate to the issues, but we are here, and we saw the issues ourselves. The roads are very terrible, and then hearing from the community members themselves, I think what struck me mostly was the fact that the Healthcare Centre here in Guabe has been metamorphosed into mere consulting clinics, that there is nothing that is going on here.

“And then they have to drive kilometres. If somebody is sick, they have to travel kilometres until they get to Kuje before they will be able to have access to a good hospital, and many community members have lost their lives in that process.

And then the community was also affected because of the recent FCT strike.”

He added that: “And then you ask yourself, this is the condition of education in the FCT?, This is the Federal Capital Territory, This is the centre. This is the seat of power,

and if the conditions of the entirety of the mass of the working people in the FCT will be this horrible, what will then now be the fate of those people who are not within the city centre?”

He assured the community on behalf of the MOTION that on October 17th, 2025, they will launch the platform which will enable citizens, or people in communities to continuously speak truth to power no matter what.

He said: “We know fully well that the primary responsibility of government is the provision of security and improvement of the welfare of the people.This is what is contained in the Social Contract, and if you can see, even in this Primary School here that we are, there are security personnel, and it’s because of the consistent harassment attacks in the community.”

Meanwhile, a member of the Guabe Community, Mr Tekula Matthew, while expressing appreciation over the engagement which he described as being impactful, emphasized the lack of access to road to the market which he said makes it very difficult for their goods to be transported for good earnings.

He said: “The bad road is a very difficult challenge the communities have been facing. The market cannot exist here because of bad road, and the bad state of the road that links to other communities that desire to bring their produce down, even taking them to the market is very difficult.

For instance, we have some communities across that once it rains, there’s a big river that you cannot cross.

“They need bridges so that these communities will be able to cross over.

In Gwabe Ward, we have over 46 villages, and I will tell you that it is only two villages that have road.”

He added that: “Almost about 40 villages are underdeveloped because of bad road. Then come to health facilities, if you go to a health centre here, it’s a laughing stock. There you cannot get well attended to, there are no good facilities there, there are no oxygen, there are no employment of medical attendants that can attend to people.

“Our farmers also need security. Our farmers are suffering because of the battle between the farmers and the herders. The government needs to see how they can settle the herders and give them their boundaries where their cattle can graze”.

Many members of the community who took turn to talk, spoke barely the same on how they are not impacted by government.

The MOTION therefore assured the community of working together with them, as change agents to turn the situation around for their good, noting that, through this process, communities will not only reflect on governance failures, but also embrace their role in holding duty bearers accountable, and mobilise citizens to act for the good of the nation.

NGO Asked Nigerians to Confront Government on Bad Governance