Lami John's case is one of many at the New Kuchingoro Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Abuja.
"They burnt my family members," - IDP tells her sad tale
Lami lost her family members to Boko Haram attacks in her small village in Gwoza, Borno state.
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A mother of two, Lami, 27, lost her husband, parents and grand parents in one night to Boko Haram attacked her small village in Gwoza local government of Borno state on Saturday, September 27, 2014.
"They (Boko Haram insurgents) killed my husband, both parents and grandparents all in one night. They burnt my family and asked me to accept Islam. They threatened to behead me if I don't accept Islam but I refused. So they took me to Sambisa forest," she said.
Lami who spoke in smattering English told Pulse that she escaped from the terrorist camp during a face-off between the insurgents and the military.
"I escaped with my children during their fight with the soldiers to a mountain close to Cameroon. I spent 24 days from Sambisa to Cameroon without food; then two months and five days to Mubi in Adamawa state where I boarded a lorry to Abuja," she said.
She developed several health conditions due to poor feeding; a situation which almost led to her death but for the timely intervention of a Catholic Church close to the camp
"There in no medical care in this camp. Last month, I was diagnosed of malaria, ulcer, appendix and typhoid and a blood pressure. It was a Catholic Church that took care of my hospital bills. Feeding here is so poor. Its been over five months since the last supply of food to this camp," Lami told our correspondent.
When asked how she wants the government to help her and other IDPs in the camp, Lami said; "The government should provide us with food, we are not feeding well here. Then they should fight the Boko Haram so we can return to our villages."
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that 250,000 children in Borno state are severely malnourished and face a high risk of death.
Meanwhile, the Borno government, on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 said it would stop centralised cooking in IDP camps in August.
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