Eight-year-old Hafsat Adamu, who has never been to school, suddenly found herself in a crowded Gombe IDP camp, where she now teaches hygiene to children after thousands of families fled violent bandit attacks in neigbouring Bauchi State, reports CHIMA AZUBUIKE
Eight-year-old Hafsat Adamu stood at the centre of a small circle in the crowded camp in Kashere, carefully demonstrating how to wash hands.
A plastic container of water sat beside her as she rubbed her palms together, letting the water flow slowly over them, while a small group of children watched her every move.
Aid workers nodded approvingly — Hafsat had become something of a “hygiene champion,” a young teacher guiding other children in basic sanitation practices.
Yet behind her confident gestures lies a story of displacement, fear, and a childhood interrupted. Hafsat has never set foot in a classroom. Before arriving in Kashere, a community in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, she lived in Jigari, a village in neighbouring Bauchi State. When armed bandits descended on her community, her family was forced to flee overnight, leaving everything behind.
Speaking in Hausa through a volunteer translator, Hafsat recounted the terrifying night of their escape.
“I’m not in any class,” she said quietly. “Before this, I had never gone to school.”
The attack came without warning, forcing families to run for their lives, she said.
“I fled from Jigari. I had to run to save my life because of the bandits,” she said. Her voice trembled slightly as she added, “Unfortunately, they captured one of my elder sisters in the village.”
Now, Hafsat shares her temporary home with thousands of other displaced persons at the Central Primary School in Kashere. Classrooms meant for learning have been converted into shelters, while verandas are lined with mats, where families sleep.
The school compound, once bustling with students and teachers, now houses people who have lost their homes, their farms, and their livelihoods. For Hafsat and hundreds of other children, the camp is the only world they know.
The Kashere camp hosts more than 7,000 IDPs who fled violence in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, including the villages of Jigare, Mansur, Yolo, and Gona. Many families say their lives changed in an instant.
Among them is Zaradeen Abdullahi, a farmer from Mansur, who arrived with his family carrying almost nothing. “I have two wives and five children,” he said. “One of my wives travelled to Katsina, but I fled with the other one to Gombe State.” Abdullahi described how the violence, driven by a notorious bandit leader known as Gambo Kachalla, forced them from their homes.
“Gambo Kachalla and his men caused chaos in our community,” Abdullahi explained. “They forced myself and other families to leave Mansur for safety in Gombe State.” He added that there had been attempts to negotiate peace with the bandit leader before the attacks escalated. “Kachalla had once been arrested in another state, but when he returned home, he resumed control with his fighters. The situation quickly became dangerous again.”
“Before Gambo came to our village, he was arrested in Nasarawa State with at least four trailers full of cows,” Abdullahi recalled. “But after that arrest, he was simply brought back to his home state.”
Local authorities had hoped that his return would signal a new chapter of peace.
“Gambo Kachalla was expected to live quietly in the village and maintain peace,” Abdullahi said. “He had spent about 20 years in the bush without coming out, so for a moment, we thought life might return to normal.”
But that hope was short-lived.
“He even built a new house and settled in,” Abdullahi added. “Yet his followers were not peaceful.”
The fighters around Kachalla continued terrorising nearby communities, engaging in cattle and goat rustling, causing injuries, and even committing killings, often fueled by alcohol.
The violence escalated because Kachalla struggled to control his men.
“Gambo failed to control his followers — they continued to spread fear and terror in the community,” Abdullahi said. Matters worsened when the group began dictating terms to local authorities. “During meetings with government and security officials, they insisted they didn’t want vigilante groups or police in the area. They demanded total control.”
The threats soon turned personal. Abdullahi remembered a chilling warning from Kachalla’s brother, Auta. “He told the village head to stop involving security officers,” he said. “He even vowed to eliminate his family.” For villagers, that threat marked the beginning of an intensifying wave of violence.
Soon afterward, attacks escalated, forcing residents to abandon their homes. Families like those in Jigare, Mansur, Yolo, and Gona fled in fear, joining thousands of others in temporary shelters. Just like notorious bandits across North Central and North West Nigeria — including Bello Turji, Ado Aleru, Dogo Gide, Halilu Sububu, Kachalla Turji, and Ali Kachalla — Gambo Kachalla and Auta became infamous in Bauchi State as orchestrators of the attacks.
For young mothers like Amina Isa, the night of the attack changed everything. At just 20 years old, she is already a mother of three, including a three-month-old baby, Bello Isa, whom she was breastfeeding. The day the bandits struck, Amina had just returned from the market. “We saw people running, and my husband and I ran with them,” she recalled. “It was a bandit attack. Everything happened so fast.”
The assault came late in the evening, when villagers were going about their normal routines. “All we could do was run,” she said. Amina fled without any belongings, and now she sleeps on a mat in a classroom alongside other displaced families. Her baby cries softly as she rocks him to sleep, the makeshift shelter offering little comfort from the trauma they carry.
The Central Primary School in Kashere was never built to house thousands of people. But since February 2026, it has become a refuge for families fleeing the violence, transforming classrooms and verandas into shelters, and reshaping a place of learning into a temporary home for those whose lives have been upended.
According to Umar Badiko, Chairman of the Committee on IDPs in the camp, the first wave of displaced families arrived on February 24, 2026. “We received the IDPs on the 24th of February,” he said. “They came from Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.”
Badiko explained that these families were fleeing escalating attacks in multiple communities. “They are people displaced by bandits from Jigare, Mansur, Yolo, and Gona communities in Alkaleri,” he said.
Since their arrival, the population of the camp has grown rapidly, stretching the already limited resources of the school compound. “The camp population is about 7,000,” Badiko noted. “Children alone number between 3,000 and 4,000.”
Inside the Central Primary School in Kashere, classrooms have been converted into makeshift sleeping quarters, verandas are lined with mats, and families occupy every available open space. Many rely on mats distributed by humanitarian organisations, but resources remain scarce.
Zaradeen Abdullahi, one of the displaced, lamented the shortage. “The mats distributed here are not adequate,” he said. “I came here with only the clothes on my body.” Families must share the limited bedding available. “We basically use mats to sleep,” he added. “As we speak, it is first come, first served because we do not have enough.”
Like so many others, Abdullahi left his home without packing any belongings. “I didn’t pack anything,” he said. “At the moment, I depend on whatever I get.”
Living conditions are especially challenging for children. Badiko confirmed that two children have already died since the families arrived at the camp. “There have been fatalities—two children have died,” he said. Health officials warn that overcrowding and poor sanitation significantly increase the risk of disease outbreaks.
“There are signs of measles,” Badiko noted. “One or two children have already been diagnosed.” The growing health concerns prompted urgent intervention from humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations Children’s Fund.
During a recent visit to the camp, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of Field Office for UNICEF Bauchi, said the agency was working closely with both Bauchi and Gombe state governments to support the displaced families. “Today we are here with the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency to assess the arrangements in the camp,” she said. “These people were displaced from Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State and are now taking refuge here in Gombe.”
Rafique commended the Gombe State Government for its swift response. “I am grateful to the Government of Gombe State and the Governor, as well as the Ministry of Health, Primary Health Care Development Agency, and the Ministry of Education,” she said. “They have been supporting the camp from the first day.”
The displaced population, now exceeding 7,000 people, continues to rely on the combined efforts of government authorities and humanitarian partners for survival. “There are now more than 7,000 people in this camp,” Rafique confirmed, underscoring the scale of the ongoing crisis.
“They are receiving support from both the Gombe and Bauchi state governments,” Dr Nuzhat Rafique said, emphasizing the joint efforts to address the urgent needs of the displaced families.
UNICEF has stepped in to improve sanitation in the camp, distributing hundreds of hygiene kits. “We have distributed about 600 hygiene and dignity kits,” Rafique explained. “We have also provided 56 household cholera kits.” The intervention, she added, was critical given the challenging sanitation conditions. “The sanitation situation here is very poor. We must improve it to prevent outbreaks of cholera and other diseases,” she said.
Beyond sanitation, health officials discovered another alarming concern: many children in the camp had never received routine vaccinations. “There are many zero-dose children who have never received any form of vaccination,” Rafique said. To address this, UNICEF, in collaboration with health authorities, has launched immunization programs. “We are ensuring that these children are now covered through immunization,” she noted.
Education is another pressing challenge. Many of the children, like Hafsat, have never attended school. “There are many children here who have never been to school,” Rafique observed. “We plan to establish safe learning spaces so that they can begin learning while they are here.” For displaced children, these initiatives could transform their uncertain futures into opportunities for growth and stability.
The Gombe State Government has also mounted an emergency response to coordinate relief efforts. Dr Shuaibu Abdulrahman, Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, explained that the state has established an incident management system to oversee humanitarian operations. “The government has set up a multi-sectoral committee involving the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Water Resources, and Ministry of Special Duties,” he said. “This committee coordinates activities in the camp.”
Healthcare services have been made accessible through a nearby primary healthcare centre. “Just across the road, we have a primary healthcare centre where IDPs can receive free treatment,” Abdulrahman said. Vaccination campaigns are also underway. “As of yesterday, about 300 children have received routine immunisation,” he reported. “In addition, 33 zero-dose children have been vaccinated.” Health workers are also administering vaccines against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to eligible girls.
Despite these interventions, sanitation remains a major challenge. Badiko recalled that when the displaced families first arrived, open defecation was widespread. “When the people arrived, they were used to living in the bush. They started defecating anywhere,” he said. Authorities have since attempted to improve conditions by constructing toilets and promoting hygiene education. “We currently have about 20 toilets,” he noted, “but open defecation is still a challenge.”
Water supply is another pressing issue. The camp relies on a combination of borehole water and tanker deliveries. “We have one borehole,” Badiko explained. “In addition, a tanker supplies water to 5,000-litre tanks.” While these measures have eased the immediate crisis, the growing population and limited infrastructure continue to place immense pressure on basic services.
Aid agencies have also stepped in to provide essential water purification tablets, helping families maintain some level of hygiene despite the crowded conditions. Food supplies, though limited, are delivered periodically by both government and humanitarian organizations. According to Umar Badiko, local government chairman contributions included rice, palm oil, and cash to support the displaced families. “The Bauchi State Government also came with maize, rice, millet, and sugar,” he said.
Despite these efforts, nutrition remains a pressing concern, particularly for children. “Many of them mostly eat rice,” Badiko explained. “We need balanced diets.” Health officials have confirmed cases of malnutrition among the camp’s youngest residents. To address this, the government has approved funding for therapeutic foods. Dr Shuaibu Abdulrahman noted, “The state government has approved N500 million counterpart funding for ready-to-use therapeutic foods for malnourished children. We expect the supplies soon.”
The overcrowded conditions at the school compound also underscore the urgent need for better shelter. Authorities are planning to relocate the displaced families to a more suitable facility. According to Badiko, hostels at Government Day Secondary School along Billiri Road could accommodate the IDPs. “The state governor has promised to renovate the place,” he said. “Once that is done, we will move the IDPs from here to that location.” Until that move is possible, thousands remain in classrooms meant for pupils, living in conditions far removed from their normal lives.
For many, the hardest part of the crisis is the loss of home. Rabi Saleh, a middle-aged woman who fled Mansur, described the emotional toll of leaving her community behind. “We ran from Mansur to this place to seek refuge,” she said. “The bandits caught us unaware.” Many families, like hers, escaped without taking anything. “Many of us could not take anything,” Saleh said. “I have been here for more than two weeks.” She paused before adding, “It has not been easy abandoning everything you were doing just to find safety elsewhere. But we have no choice.”
The Camp Secretary of the IDPs in Kashere, Dr Bala Babangida, expressed gratitude to UNICEF and other partners for their support.
“Currently, we have received 600 WASH and dignity kits from UNICEF as well as 56 cholera kits, which will help address sanitation and health issues in the camp,” he said.
The interventions, he noted, have significantly reduced open defecation within the camp.
“Some days ago, if you stayed here for just a few minutes you would notice the bad odour because of open defecation, but the situation has improved significantly with the support we are receiving,” he explained.
Babangida also highlighted the role of displaced persons themselves in maintaining the camp. “There are volunteers among the displaced persons who are responsible for cleaning the toilets and ensuring that the sanitation facilities are properly maintained,” he said. He acknowledged that while the camp population continues to grow rapidly, authorities are doing their best to manage the situation with the facilities available.
“The camp is currently overcrowded, but we are managing with the facilities we have,” Babangida said. “People are using classrooms, verandas, and other available spaces for shelter.” He emphasised that healthcare support for malnourished children remains one of the most urgent needs in the camp.
“We have some children suffering from malnutrition, and we still need specialised food to support them,” he added.
As the sun sets over Kashere, the school compound grows quiet. Children dart between classrooms and open spaces, their laughter mingling with the faint crackle of small fires where women prepare evening meals.
Amid the bustle, eight-year-old Hafsat Adamu sits quietly with other children, a shy smile lighting her face as she watches aid workers distribute hygiene supplies. For now, this crowded school is her entire world.
But like thousands of displaced children around her, Hafsat dreams of something more: safety, education, and a chance to live without fear. Whether that future will arrive soon remains uncertain.
For families like hers, survival is the immediate priority. Until peace returns to their communities, the classrooms of Kashere will continue to serve not as places of learning but as shelters for people whose lives have been torn apart by violence.
Our correspondent learnt that the government had declared an emergency vacation for the school’s regular students, allowing the displaced families to remain in the compound even as the term continues.
The classrooms, once filled with lessons and laughter, now hold the fragile hopes and daily struggles of those forced to flee from their homes.
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