The Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Saturday said it spent over N2 billion distributing food items and condiments to IDPs in the last four years. SEMA’s chairman, Alhaji Satomi Ahmad, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri. Ahmad said that the amount went into procurement and distribution of foodstuffs, firewood, drugs and condiments to persons displaced by Boko Haram insurgency in the state. He said that the gesture was to augment the Federal Government and development agencies’ efforts to support the displaced persons and address humanitarian crisis. “Previously, the agency spent about N20 million on procurement and distribution of firewood alone to displaced households in the camps and liberated communities. “The trend resulted in unprecedented upsurge in the demand and supply of firewood in the state. “This also naturally resulted in depletion of forest resources and destruction of the environment which left us with no options than to start using charcoal,” he said. Satomi said the choice of charcoal came with high cost as the initial funds for firewood went up astronomically. The chairman said the agency had also concluded arrangements to de-worm and immunise all children in IDPs camps and liberated communities. He said that the exercise was designed to protect children against diseases, reduce morbidity and mortality. According to him, the agency had deployed nine mobile clinics to enhance rapid response and disaster management services in the state.
NEMA Director-General, Alhaji Mustafa Maihaja

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has evacuated another batch of 170 Nigerian repatriated refugees mostly women and children from Cameroon.

The Director-General of the Agency, Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja, disclosed this at Mubi International Transit Camp, Adamawa, on Sunday.

Maihaja, who was represented by Idris Garga, NEMA coordinator in charge of Adamawa and Taraba, said that the evacuation exercise was the second in three months.

“Today, we are evacuating another batch of 170 Nigerian repatriated refugees from Cameroon Republic, the first evacuation was conducted in May 2017 and involved about 300 Nigerians.


Read also: Misconduct: Police detain 2 personnel for reckless shooting

“The refugees were intercepted along Nigeria-Cameroon border by teams of Nigeria security operatives and after thorough investigation and screening they were confirmed to be Nigerians.

“The refugees are indigenes of Gomboru-Ngala in Borno who escaped Boko Haram attacks and ran to Cameroon for safety in 2013,”< he said.

Terry Igue, the Yola office head of Search and Rescue of the agency, said the refugees had undergone several medical check-ups at Mubi camp and had been “well taken care of before their evacuation to their local government and state of origin to meet their relatives”.

 

(NAN)


RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR