Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the concrete living conditions of displaced persons from Boko Haram's insurgency in north eastern Nigeria, portending the grave danger which (mis)management of the displacement situation poses to state and humanitarian efforts of curbing the humanitarian crisis.

Paper long abstract:

This paper interrogates the internal displacement caused by the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria and the military counter-insurgency actions against the organization. The research brings to fore the (mis)management of the displacement situation, linking the responses of the state and other actors to thematic analogies reflective of state failure, politicization of aid, degenerative governance, and the positive functions of poverty for the non-poor. With over 1.9m persons displaced, the humanitarian crisis is at teeter ends, with acute malnourishment, zero wash and non-relief materials, improper hygiene and lack of access to basic relief aid. The array of humanitarian organizations belie the concrete living conditions of displaced persons, and calls to question the huge resources assumed to be expended on managing the humanitarian crisis in the northeast of Nigeria. This study utilizes qualitative data gathering approach to explicate the lived realities of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and repatriated refugees in designated camps in Maiduguri. The paper argues that a criminogenic profit-making structure has been invented in the management of the displacement situation. A cyclical pattern is highlighted: This structure is constituted by and constitutive of the misery of the IDPs. The latter includes poor or non-existing services and wanton sale of relief materials in the underground market by ghost IDPs and officials of government agencies. The paper argues that this situation portends grave risks for state efforts to combat Boko Haram, as it may result in renewed grievances against the government.