Nine individuals out of 102 Internally Displaced Persons from Gamboru-Ngala, Borno State reportedly returned home. The IDPs were said to have been abducted by Boko Haram terrorists while fetching firewood in the bush on Sunday, March 4.

The Borno State government, led by Dr. Barkindo Mohammed Saidu, dismissed the initial reports of abduction, insisting that the individuals had only lost their way in the wilderness. Dr. Saidu, who headed the state government’s fact-finding team to Ngala, stated, “We don’t even believe that they were abducted. We believe they only lost their way back home, not abducted.”

As the media reports and the United Nations confirmed the abduction, the Borno State government expressed skepticism, stating, “If they were abducted, the abductors would have, by now, called for ransom; but nobody has called anybody for any ransom yet.”

The Director-General of Borno SEMA clarified the government’s position, saying, “We don’t believe the IDPs in this abduction narrative and the number of those they said were abducted; the IDPs are not trustworthy.”

He pointed out a lack of trust between the IDPs and the government, NGOs, and even among themselves.

However, Dr. Saidu acknowledged that nine out of the ‘missing’ IDPs had returned to the camp on Friday, March 8. The state government instructed officials in Ngala to maintain vigilance and report any returning individuals.

The controversy surrounding the abduction story persists, with the Borno government maintaining its skepticism and highlighting what it sees as inconsistencies in the accounts provided by the IDPs.

As of the latest update, there has been no information about ransom demands from the alleged abductors, and military authorities have not provided additional updates on the situation.