Documentary titled ‘Silent cries: Unveiling Hidden Lives’ reveals plight of displaced people in Nigeria

A documentary on the pathetic story of the living conditions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across most of Nigeria has been made by a young Nigerian.

The documentary titled “Silent Screams: Unveiling Hidden Lives” has perfectly captured the true story of the lives and pathetic situations of these Nigerians who once led their lives like every other Nigerian, doing their rightful business, but stopped everything and are now forced to lead a difficult life due to the unfortunate attack on their communities by bandits and Boko Haram.

Young Nigerian Farouk Muhammed, son of the President of the Nigerian Archery Federation, Mohammed Baba Abdullahi, and an undergraduate student at Bingham University, visited one of the camps to present a version of the story that the government has remained so silent. about.

The documentary presented the IDP camp as lacking basic amenities that would make living conditions comfortable and conducive for any person. He highlighted the fact that there is no school for the children because they are seen playing all day.

In the documentary, the author spoke with several displaced people about the conditions of their stay in the camp. The camp coordinator, Idris Halilu, one of the first to fight for the rights of displaced people in Nigeria, explained the challenges they face living in the camp.

“This story is unpleasant, it’s such a sad story. Living conditions are critical. Honestly, life hasn’t been easy for us. What do I mean? 95% of what I eat, what the displaced eat, comes from individuals, foundations and NGOs. So when I say 97 or 98%, you can see that the government’s intervention is only 2% whereas normally it is supposed to assume 100%.

Another interlocutor who spoke with the writer was one of the escapees named Mallam Ahmed who narrated how he escaped from Boko Haram and spent six days without food and water before entering the camp.

“In Gwoza, I was a businessman who sold bicycles and also rare cattle. I was also a farmer when the terrorists came to our town. They sought out boys aged 13 and over and killed them. I left town without shoes on my feet. Before I even left, I hid under the bed. They started marrying off women and girls to terrorists. It was one of these women who saved me; I had to hide for six days without food or water before finally leaving there,” he concluded.

Another resident of the IDP camp, Adaza Haruna, from Bornu State, said she had spent about nine years in the camp, but lamented that their biggest challenge was food.

*Food is very difficult to get, some people have mattresses and others don’t. Those who don’t have a mattress spread out plastic to lie on. My husband is currently sick because he is lying on the floor. I have five children but only three are alive, the cold hurts my husband very much. Some nights he doesn’t sleep, he spends the whole night crying,” she lamented.

Leyatu Ayuba, also a female leader of the IDP camp, runs a roadside restaurant in the camp. She narrates her experience in the hands of the terrorists and explains how she lost her husband and son in the hands of the terrorists. Nevertheless, she expressed her gratitude to the NGO, Foundations and other good-natured people who always came to their aid in the camp.

The writer ends by saying that despite these challenges, they still find reasons to make each other smile and be happy in the camp.