Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has directed the State’s Emergency Management of Agency (SEMA) to submit a list of households in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp fire disasters.
The Elbadawy IDP camp was razed on Saturday, claiming three lives of people with 17 others injured.
The camp had been sheltering about 10, 000 households; comprising over 50, 000 displaced persons from seven Local Government Areas.
Sympathizing with the fire victims, at the weekend (Sunday) at the camp, Zulum directed the Director General of Agency, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo to submit the list of affected households and individuals for immediate support of victims.”
He stated that the State Government is also to collaborate with the federal government and other humanitarian partners on returning the IDPs to their communities.
“The remaining IDPs in camps; are to be returned to Ngwom and other liberated communities in the state,” he said.
He lamented that there is no way, at any point the state Government is forcing any IDP to their ancestral homes.
According to him, most of the unofficial camps on the outskirts of Maiduguri are in poor sanitary conditions with congested makeshift shelters, warning that; “They are liable to fire outbreaks.”
He said that the returns and resettlements of displaced persons could enable IDPs to restore their livelihoods.
Besides, he added that this could enable the IDP returnees discipline their children with moral upbringing,” noting that the host communities will also develop by decongesting their population.
Briefing the Governor, the Northeast Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Usman Aji, said: “The fire started by 1pm from one of the tents, where an IDP was cooking and spread to others destroying over 100 makeshift shelters.”
He noted that the inferno was brought under control by personnel of the State’s fire service.
