On Tuesday, hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Baga took to the streets of Maiduguri, Borno State’s capital, to protest.
Their protest was on allegations of hunger and poor treatment by officials managing their affairs in the camp.
It was reported that the protesters barricaded the major highway which leads out of Maiduguri, popularly known as Maiduguri-Kano highway, to register their displeasure.
Their major frustration was over the alleged poor pattern of feeding and manner of care they have been accorded, since their arrival over a month ago.
The protest was wild and almost went out of control as participants, mostly women, young men and children began to destroy public signposts, especially campaign billboards of various political parties.
Soldiers and police officers who were deployed to the scene had to use moderate force, including the release of tear gas canisters against the protesters, who stood their ground.
The standoff lasted almost three hours even as armed soldiers tried to create space by using the whip, to allow vehicles to squeeze through the human barricade.
At the end of the day, the protesters hearkened to the pleas of some senior military and police officers deployed to talk to the leaders of the protesters.
