Nigeria — Reopening of Maiduguri-Bama-Banki Flash Report 7 (3 April 2018)

On 24 March 2018, the Nigerian Military reopened the Maiduguri-Bama-Banki road after four years of its closure due to insecurity. The road, which runs from Maiduguri through Konduga, Bama, Gwoza and also connects to the neighboring countries of Cameroon and Chad, was shut to commercial and public traffic in September 2014. Following the reopening of the road, about 3,000 IDPs of Bama origin at Dalori I and II Camps in Maiduguri were relocated to Bama town by the Government of Nigeria (GoN), on 2 April 2018. The population of people in need of humanitarian assistance has increased significantly due to the influx, and larger number of returns are expected in the coming days/weeks.

DTM emergency tracking in Bama and flow monitoring along Maiduguri-Bama-Banki road shows that since 24 March: 21 buses with capacity of 75 passengers each and 67 wagons transported about 3,000 returnees from Maiduguri to Bama on 2nd April 2018; IOM has registered 1,688 new arrivals (returnees) in Bama since 2nd April, and registration activities are ongoing; 55 trucks carrying relief items and commercial products have made trips to Bama and surrounding locations through the reopened road; More than 200 public vehicles have been witnessed carrying people to and from Bama.