Like a normal society, there are various kinds of persons in different shapes and
sizes — the educated and not-so-educated; people of different religions and of different backgrounds.
Notwithstanding their predicaments, what is very obvious among the inmates is their amorous lifestyles. Night life in the camps is a beautiful scenery as most of the IDPs put their worries behind them to hang out with there loved ones.
Some of the relationships were initiated in the camps while some met their lovers outside the camps.
The camps have suddenly turned out to be rendezvous for bachelors searching for life partners and those who just want to take advantage of the hapless female members of the camps.
In most cases, these relationships have ended in marriages, and so many of them have been recorded in the camps.
Also, in other cases, these relationships have produced many babies as have equally been recorded recently by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The first wedding in Malkohi, Yola, Adamawa State between Mr. and Mrs. Bullama opened the floodgate of marriages in the camps.
Since then, many marriages have held in the camps while several of them have been conducted outside the camps.
In two camps alone, the federal government has confirmed recorded 187 marriages and 410 births.
Records show that Nigeria is third among countries with the highest Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), accounting for about 1.5 million of 38 million persons displaced globally.
According to a former United Nations (UN) war crimes prosecutor, Charles Adeogun-Phillip, the figure could be higher because of lack of accurate data on their spread and gender.
He therefore called for an institution that would take the welfare of IDPs as its focal point, as well as execute policies that would ameliorate the plight of those displaced from their homes.
“For instance, IDPs need adequate security and legal protection of their fundamental human rights. They need full rights and should not be discriminated against. The protection of the most vulnerable members of the society should be a given,” he added.
In view of the number of the IDPs in the country and the uncontrolled way of giving birth, Nigeria might have population explosion soon from these people.
Confirming this, Director General of NEMA, Mr. Sani Sidi, said that NEMA has recorded over 187 marriages and 410 births among the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) All these were just in a space of one month – between September and August in Borno and Adamawa camps alone.
Sidi who made the disclosure in Abuja when members of Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG) paid him a courtesy call, explained that 100 marriages were conducted in Maiduguri camps alone and 87 were recorded in Adamawa camps. He said Emergency Education for IDP Children became a major priority after unprecedented insurgency attacks on students, teachers and schooling infrastructure where about 269 teachers lost their lives.
However, the agency in ensuring efficient management of camps has trained personnel in camp coordination and camp management in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa and to provide to the specialised needs of vulnerable people during emergencies.
What is trending in the North East and some parts of the country now is that IDP camps have become a veritable place for men to pick their life partners.
For them the IDP girls are cheap to marry and not too cosmetic and sophisticated. The IDP girls on their part are readily available because having lost all their belongings; they are in a hurry to leave the camps for a better life.
The rush for the IDP ladies has evoked envy among other ladies outside the camp as the IDPs have taken the shine off them. According to the ladies, most of their spouses have abandoned them for the IDP girls for reasons they cannot explain.
A middle-aged lady who does not want her name mentioned told Abuja Metro how her spouse ditched her after they visited an IDP camp. Some months after, he started behaving funny and refused to pick her calls. “So, I was curious and visited the house only to find the same girl we both attended to at the IDP camp. It is so heart-breaking,” she lamented.
Some of the men told Abuja Metro that with as low as N10, 000 one can marry an IDP lady without any hassles as against the rigours one has to go through to marry other ladies.
Bashir Adamu told Abuja Metro that he witnessed a marriage between a man and an IDP girl in 2012. Till today, they are still together. What is important is the love that exists between them.
Kashim Ibrahim stated that since the insurgents attacked Gwoza, he met a lady in the camp and developed interest in her. And since then they have been living together in the camp as husband and wife. He said that the moment they go back home, they will have a proper marriage.
Apart from the legally conducted marriages in the camps what is also trending in the camps is unwanted pregnancy, which is as a result of immoral activities of the inmates.
In two camps alone, over 410 births were recorded as fallout of relationships between the single boys and girls who are idle and whose only pastime is to pounce on each other in orgy.
So if this number is a yardstick for all the camps, NEMA has to do something quickly not only to prevent population explosion but to also prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.
This trend has thrown up questions on the empowerment of the inmates through skill acquisition and employment.
A number of organizations have tried to train them and provide soft loans to enable them be busy.
It is in pursuit of that that Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other organizations started trainings for the IDPs.
This, according to CBN, is to address the problem of unemployment through capacity building of Nigerians to manage successful businesses.
According to the EDC Director, Mr. Idris Bawa, a commitment fee of N5, 000 each was waived for the IDPs due to their peculiar situation.
Bawa who said the training was in its second week, added that it was organised for IDPs in the state. He said a similar programme would be extended to 500 other IDPs in Borno. Bawa said the EDC was set up in 2013 by the CBN as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives to address the problem of unemployment through capacity building of Nigerians to manage successful businesses.
He said the centre decided to extend its services to IDPs to enable them start a new life on sound footing. Bawa explained that participants of the EDC initiative were required by CBN to pay a commitment fee of N5, 000 each while a waiver was given to the IDPs due to their peculiar situation.
He said the firm handling the EDC training for CBN decided to offset the fees for the 500 IDPs in Adamawa as part of its corporate social responsibility. Bawa appealed to interest groups, government and philanthropists in Borno to help pay the outstanding N5,000 fees for the 500 IDPs in Borno.
The director said that the training, which was expected to build the capacity of the IDPs to start and manage successful enterprises, would also link them with financial institutions to access loans.
“After establishing their businesses, we will also provide them with free business advisory services for 18 months by monitoring and advising them whenever they faced problems, ”he said.
If the issue of unemployment among the IDPs is taken care of, the problem of brigandage, and harlotry in the camps will be minimized.
A number of cases have been cited where the politicians use the able-bodied members of the camps as cannon fodders in their elections. If they are busy, such anti social activities may be reduced.
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