Malam Fatori, Nigeria \u2014<\/strong> It\u2019s been more than 10 years since Isa Aji Mohammed lost four of his children in one night when Boko Haram fighters attacked their home in northeast Nigeria\u2019s Borno State.<\/p>\n Maryam, who was 15 at the time, was killed alongside her brothers Mohammed, 22, and Zubairu, who was only 10. Yadoma, 25 and married with children, who had returned home to her parents\u2019 house for a visit, also died in the attack.<\/p>\n list of 3 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n \u201cWe ran with nothing,\u201d said 65-year-old Isa, standing on the parched soil of his farm in the Lake Chad village of Malam Fatori, to which he recently returned. \u201cFor more than 10 years, we slept in relatives\u2019 homes. I felt like a stranger in my own country.\u201d<\/p>\n Before the deadly attack, Isa,\u00a0a farmer, produced hundreds of bags of rice, maize and beans annually, enough to feed his family and sell in markets in neighbouring Niger.<\/p>\n After that night, he fled and spent the next decade in displacement camps across the border.<\/p>\n But last year, he joined thousands of other former residents who have relocated back to Malam Fatori and other towns as part of a resettlement programme<\/a> initiated by the government.<\/p>\n The village sits on the edge of Nigeria\u2019s northeastern frontier, close to the border with Niger, where the vast, flat landscape stretches into open farmland and seasonal wetlands.<\/p>\n A decade ago, homes there were intact and full, their courtyards echoing with children\u2019s voices and the steady rhythm of daily life. Farms extended well beyond the town\u2019s outskirts, producing grains and vegetables that sustained families and supported local trade.<\/p>\n Irrigation canals flowed regularly, and the surrounding area was known for its productivity, especially during the dry season. Markets were active, and movement between Malam Fatori and neighbouring communities was normal, not restricted by fear.<\/p>\n Today, the town carries the visible scars of conflict and neglect, with much of it lying\u00a0in ruin.<\/p>\n Rows of mud-brick houses stand roofless or partially collapsed, their walls cracked by years of abandonment. Some homes have been hastily repaired with scrap wood and sheets of metal, signs of families slowly returning and rebuilding with whatever materials they can find.<\/p>\n The farms surrounding Malam Fatori are beginning to show faint signs of life again. Small plots of millet and sorghum are being cleared by hand, while irrigation channels \u2013 once choked with sand and weeds \u2013 are gradually being reopened.<\/p>\n Many fields, however, remain empty, overtaken by thorny bushes and dry grass after years without cultivation. Farmers move cautiously, working close to the town, wary of venturing too far into land that was once fertile but has long been unsafe.<\/p>\n For returnees like Isa, walking through these spaces means navigating both the present reality and memories of what once was. Each broken wall and abandoned field tells a story of loss, while every newly planted seed signals a quiet determination to restore a town that violence nearly erased.<\/p>\n For the Borno State administration, the returns are a success. \u201cThere are 5,000 households of returnees in Malam Fatori, while the town\u2019s total population now exceeds 20,000 people,\u201d Usman Tar, Borno State commissioner for information and internal security, told Al Jazeera last year.<\/p>\n As we toured the town, the security presence was visible. Armed patrols, checkpoints and observation posts were stationed along major routes and near public spaces, reflecting ongoing efforts to deter attacks and reassure residents.<\/p>\n Families interviewed said they were subjected to frequent security checks and strict movement controls, measures they understand as necessary but which also disrupt daily routines and limit access to farms, markets and neighbouring communities.<\/p>\n Residents and local officials say the threat remains close. Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), another armed group active in the area, are believed to be operating from swampy areas approximately two kilometres from the town, using the difficult terrain as cover.<\/p>\n Although the town itself is under heavy military protection, surrounding areas continue to experience attacks, kidnappings and harassment, particularly along farming routes and access roads.<\/p>\n These persistent security incidents reinforce a climate of fear and uncertainty among returnees. While many families have chosen to remain and rebuild despite the risks, they say the proximity of armed groups and the ongoing violence in nearby communities make long-term recovery fragile.<\/p>\n \u201cHere in Malam Fatori, we live under two pressures,\u201d said resident Babagana Yarima. \u201cBoko Haram dictates our safety, and the military dictates our movement. Both limit how we live every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Farmers wait up to eight hours at military checkpoints when transporting produce. Curfews prevent evening farm work. Access to agricultural land beyond the town requires military permits or armed escorts.<\/p>\n \u201cInsecurity and military restrictions limit access to farmlands, forcing farmers to cultivate smaller areas than before,\u201d said Bashir Yunus, an agrarian expert at the University of Maiduguri who also farms in the region.<\/p>\n Fishing, previously a major food source and income generator from Lake Chad, has become dangerous and requires permits to leave the town boundaries.<\/p>\n \u201cMovement beyond the town\u2019s boundaries now requires military permits. Militant attacks in isolated areas continue,\u201d said Issoufou.<\/p>\n The United Nations has raised concerns about the government\u2019s resettlement programme, citing potential protection violations. Mohamed Malick, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, said during an interview with journalists in Maiduguri that \u201cany returns or relocations must be informed, voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable\u201d.<\/p>\n Malick added that the return of refugees to Malam Fatori and other insecure areas must be carefully evaluated against established safety and humanitarian standards, and must only take place if conditions allow for basic services and sustainable livelihoods.<\/p>\n Settled back on his land, Isa wakes before dawn each day, leaving his home in the quiet hours before the town stirs.<\/p>\n He walks to the fields that once yielded fertile harvests, now choked with weeds and debris. The land that once fed his family and supported their livelihood now demands relentless effort just to coax a small crop from the exhausted soil.<\/p>\n \u200eWith each turn of the hoe and careful planting of seeds, he is determined to reclaim a fragment of the life that was disrupted by conflict.<\/p>\n \u200eHe also participates in community farming initiatives, joining neighbours in collective efforts to restore agricultural production for the returning population and aid the town\u2019s slow recovery.<\/p>\n \u200eHowever, the area he personally cultivates is far smaller than what he once managed, constrained by limited access to tools, seeds and water, as well as by the lingering insecurity in the region.<\/p>\n \u200e\u201dA man without land is a man without life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u200e\u200eMost families in Malam Fatori now eat only twice a day, a sharp contrast to life before the conflict. \u200eTheir meals typically consist of rice or millet, often eaten with little or no vegetables due to cost and limited availability. \u200e<\/p>\n Food prices have risen dramatically, placing further strain on households already struggling to recover. \u200eA kilogramme of rice now sells for about 1,200 naira (approximately $0.83), nearly double its previous price, making even basic staples increasingly unaffordable for many families.<\/p>\n \u200eFish, once plentiful and affordable thanks to proximity to Lake Chad, have become scarce and expensive. Insecurity, restricted access to fishing areas, and disrupted supply chains have severely reduced local catches.<\/p>\n \u200eAt the local market and at aid distribution points, women queue before dawn, hoping to secure small quantities of dried fish, groundnut oil or maize flour when supplies arrive.<\/p>\n \u200eDeliveries are irregular and unpredictable, often selling out within hours. Many women say they return home empty-handed after waiting for hours, compounding daily stress and uncertainty about how to feed their families.<\/p>\n \u200eLocal health workers warn that malnutrition remains a serious concern, particularly among children under the age of five.<\/p>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
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