Bishop Oliver Doeme, who leads the Catholic Maiduguri diocese in Nigeria, one of the most hard-hit by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, has told of victims hiding in caves, being forced to convert to Islam and facing starvation.

"We use to think that salt is the cheapest commodity in the market, well, life is cheaper now, especially in the Northeastern part of Nigeria," Bishop Doeme of Maiduguri wrote in a report to charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), cited by the Catholic News Agency.

Maiduguri is in Borno State, where there is a declared 'state of emergency' due to the violence from Boko Haram. ACN has just approved a £35,000 donation to refugees in the area.

"The last one month has seen the intensification and aggressive devastation of the Boko Haram activities in Northern, Central and Southern part of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri," Bishop Doeme said. "Many of our people are being forced out of their ancestral homes, villages and towns. Right now, thousands are living in caves on the mountains, some in the forest; the few who were able to escape are being absorbed by friends and relatives in Maiduguri, Mubi and Yola. Thousands have managed to escape into the Cameroons and are living under very difficult conditions of lack of food, shelter and medication."

Bishop Doeme also said. "There is still a religious undertone to this whole mess. We might shy away from it, we may be silent and unable to speak up or speak out now against the plan to Islamize the Northeast and eventually Nigeria."

Boko Haram, which literally means "Western education is sinful", is also opposed to moderate Islam, as well as Christians. "Both Christians and Muslims are being affected, both Christians and Muslims have been killed; both Christians and Muslims have been driven out of their ancestral homes, villages and towns, Christians and Muslims have been internally displaced and are refugees in their own home state," said Bishop Doeme.

He said that 'his people' "have become slaves and prisoners in their fatherland ... Life has become so cheap that it can be wasted any moment.

"In the last one month more parishes have been closed down and the people and the priests are on the run."

He said that there have been eight attacks on Christian organisations in the past month, including churches closed and burned down, women and youths captured and forced to convert to Islam and marry terrorists. He also said that there was significant humanitarian need and that some are facing starvation.

Bishop Doeme said that the Nigerian military forces are not challenging Boko Haram and are leaving them to take over these areas. 

The situation regarding Boko Haram continues to be confusing, as earlier hopes of a ceasefire and the release of the 200-plus girls kidnapped by Boko Haram have not yet been realised, although there is still anticipation that this could happen imminently. However, Boko Haram continues to attack towns in North Eastern Nigeria.