The Director-General of Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Yabawa Kolo has said that a three-year-old girl and two women were killed in Wednesday’s fire outbreak. The inferno occurred at the Customs’ Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps along Maiduguri/Dikwa road. Before the inferno, the camp had accommodated 14,250 IDPs sacked from Mafa, Dikwa and Konduga Local Government Areas by Boko Haram. Confirming the incident Friday in an interview in Maiduguri, the state capital, she disclosed: “The first fire outbreak occurred by 8am Wednesday. Moments thereafter, another inferno engulfed and swept through by 2pm displacing over 3,600 IDPs. She said that the inferno destroyed tents had been accommodating over 500 IDP households.
Lamenting incessant fire outbreaks in camps, she said: “Yakura, the only child of her Mother was burnt beyond recognition while she was sleeping. “Her mother, Hajja had gone to fetch firewood in a nearby bush while the father, Babagana, went to the farm when the fire occurred.” While lamenting their ordeals of fire outbreak, parents of late Yakura said that they left the baby sleeping with four of her siblings watching over them. According to her, they quickly rush to seek what the family will have for dinner later at night. While sympathizing with fire victims, the camp manager, Mohammed Usman; said: “It’s still shocking to us. We’re deeply pained by the death of Yakura, but as Muslims, we believe that God is aware of everything and we take solace in that fact.
“We pray that God grants Yakura eternal rest.” He appealed to Governor Babagana Zulum to expand the Customs IDP camp, so as to prevent fire disasters that claimed people’s lives and property. He complained that the erected tents in camps are clustered to trigger any future fire outbreak. The State Government has already visited the scene of the incident and responded to the plights of affected IDPs; as SEMA ordered the immediate supply of relief materials to affected fire victims. “We’re saddened by the unfortunate development,” said Kolo, assuring that measures are being taken to ease the plights of IDPs. She added that the government is planning the establishment of mini fire Service Stations close to IDPs so as to ensure immediate response to fire outbreaks.
“We’ll also meet the Fire Service Officials and other emergency organisations to see how best to decentralize fire service stations,” she said, noting that the stations will provide fire services to the nearest IDP camps.
