Agency In Borno To Resettle 1,900 Displaced Households

The Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has concluded arrangements to resettle 1,900 displaced households at a newly established Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri.

The disclosure was made in Maiduguri on Wednesday, February 6, by SEMA's chairperson, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Legit.ng gathers that she said the camp, located at the Sani Abacha Stadium, was set up with support from the international humanitarian organisations.

Kolo, who was reacting to protest staged by IDPs over alleged lack of food and shelter, said that the project was designed to decongest the 5,000 capacity Teachers’ Village IDPs camp and provide temporary shelters for the displaced persons.

She said: “We recorded over 35,000 new arrival of IDPs, who were displaced from their homes in Baga, Kruss-Kawwa and adjourning communities in Kukawa Local Government Area of the state.

“There is massive displacement due to the resurging Boko Haram attacks; we have influx of IDPs which resulted to congestion in camps in Maiduguri metropolis.

“Already, the state government had constructed 200 temporary shelters at the Teachers’ Village camp; we need more shelters to accommodate the increasing number of IDPs in the metropolis.

“Humanitarian organisations had constructed about 4,000 temporary shelters for 1,900 displaced households at the stadium, we are going to resettle them soon.”

According to her, the agency is working in collaboration with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and humanitarian actors to provide food and non-food assistance to the IDPs in 14 registered camps in Maiduguri and host communities.

Kolo dismissed as misleading, reports indicating that the IDPs staged a demonstration to protest alleged lack of food.

She noted that the protest was triggered sequel to the suspension of registration exercise by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that internally displaced persons from Baga camp on Tuesday, February 5, took to the streets of Maiduguri, Borno state, to express their grievances.

The protesters during the incident, barricaded a major highway - Maiduguri/Kano Expressway to register their displeasure.

The protest were based on allegations of hunger and poor treatment of the displaced persons by officials of the Shettima Ali Monguno Teachers Village camp who handle their welfare. 

Some of the displaced person who spoke on the matter said trouble started in the camp when officials of the International Committee on Red Cross (ICRC) visited the location to distribute food and relief items.