SAN FRANCISCO, February 15, (THEWILL) – A member representing Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge in the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdul-Rahaman Terab, Sunday, raised the alarm over what he described as political intimidation at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Borno State.
However, the State Commissioner for Information, Home Affairs and Culture, Dr. Mohammed Bulama, dismissed the allegation in a statement titled: “Terab is playing a PDP script,” said it was a “surprise that an educated person like Terab has chosen to make very childish allegations that he knows are without basis simply because apparent defeat stared him in the face ahead of the March 28 rescheduled elections.”
At a media briefing in Maiduguri, the state capital, Terab had said it was unfortunate that those that are sympathetic to him and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are singled out for blackmail, intimidation, humiliation and are further traumatised at the IDP camps.
He also alleged that some people loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration in the state “are maltreating them (my supporters) in the camps where they reside and also resort to the use of violent thugs in destroying their property, beating them up and even using live ammunition on them in order to threaten them to desist from supporting our humble selves and the PDP as a party.”
Terab, who claimed to have lodged a complaint with security agencies, added that: “It is on record that the recent incident of such politics of bitterness was unleashed on our supporters when our campaign sites opposite the Government Girls Senior Secondary School Yerwa was vandalised by unscrupulous elements purportedly acting on the orders of the Executive Governor of Borno State, on his arrival from Abuja, to be precise on Tuesday 11th February, 2025 around 6pm.”
Alleging further, the lawmaker said: “Worst of all, some operators of the camp have resolved to stop any kind of good gesture in the form of food and sanitary items coming from our humble selves or the PDP as a party in order to provide succour to those in the camps.
“Some volunteer youths who help out in the camps especially the NYSC were physically threatened by a senior member of the authorities to blackmail them and brand them as Boko Haram supporters if they show their support to us.”
According to him, “It is thus worrisome, that if this trend of thuggery and intimidation is allowed to go unabated, the consequences leading to and on the days of the elections can be more than catastrophic and capable of further sending our delicate peace into ruins. The security agencies and concerned authorities have no reason whatsoever for not acting now until it is too late.”
Dismissing the allegations, the state commissioner for Information, Home Affairs and Culture, Bulama, said the lawmaker was preparing excuse for his impending defeat at the forthcoming elections.
In a statement issued in Maiduguri, Bulama said Terab was only acting a script designed by politicians who have lost out in the state to smuggle themselves forcefully into power.
“We are aware that like Terab, there are some of his kind, who are said to be holding meetings with a dubious plan of having the Federal Government take complete control of all IDPs with an intent of using or ignored the camps for whatever purpose that is political.
“Terab’s press briefing is part of their steps to lay the basis for that. It’s surprising that those with that plan have forgotten that the Federal Government has no constitutional powers of taking over the control of Borno citizens or that of any state at all.
“We advise Terab to please direct his energy to his campaign and not a plan that is dead on arrival. If the IDPs have problems, they should have spoken about them. NEMA, SEMA and security agencies are there in all the camps.
“It is really unfortunate that with all the problems Borno is facing, some citizens of the state have chosen to undermine the people of the state through different means all in the name of politics. They ought to remember that power comes from God while the people of Borno state are not fools.
“You cannot abandon the people in their hours of need and expect them to stand by you during elections. Citizens across Nigeria are far more enlightened than ever before. The unfortunate Boko Haram crisis has changed everything in Nigeria including how citizens think.”
