The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum has complained about the infiltration of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps by those not directly affected by the recent flooding in Maiduguri and Jere.
He stated this during the official launch of the distribution of relief materials to those affected by the recent flooding at the Bakassi Camp along Damboa Road in Maiduguri on Monday.
The flood which started at night on 9th of September was caused by overflowing from Alau Dam and has displaced nearly 2 million people in Maiduguri and surrounding areas.
Governor Zulum has expressed concern over the influx of individuals into the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps who were not directly affected by the flooding. He stressed that this has complicated the distribution process.
“We have observed that the influx of non-affected individuals into the camps has made the situation unsustainable,” Zulum said.
“It is challenging to manage the camps efficiently under these conditions.”
To properly handle this, Zulum announced plans to conduct a thorough assessment of the affected areas to guide future relief efforts.
“We have mobilised resources to ensure that all affected individuals receive the necessary relief items. Additionally, we will assess the affected communities to accurately determine the number of those impacted,” he said.
Governor Zulum also acknowledged the support from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), who supported the flood victims with food donations.
The aid packages include a 25kg bag of rice, a carton of pasta, and N10,000 in cash per recipient.
NEMA Director General, Zubaida Umar also mentioned her agency’s contributions, noting that since the outset of the flooding, NEMA has been supplying shelters and mobile water purifiers to ensure access to clean drinking water for those affected.
Looking at the underlying cause of the camp infiltration, it’s most likely because they also want to get relief materials. It is hoped that the affected flood victims are not ignored due to this discovery.
