Borno Govt Evacuates over 42,000 IDPs from Adamawa

Borno Govt Evacuates over 42,000 IDPs from Adamawa

 Deputy Governor of Borno State, 

Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha

The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha, on Saturday declared that the state government had within three months evacuated over 42,000 internally displaced  persons (IDPs) who are citizens of Borno state out of Adamawa State, where they had been taking refuge.

The Deputy Governor, who disclosed this while on a visit to IDPs of Askira Uba, Lassa, Chibok, Gwoza and some displaced persons from other states in the North-east, including Adamawa, revealed that 27,000 IDPs were initially evacuated from Adamawa.

He further stated that 15,000 of the IDPs were later evacuated out of Adamawa State last month and that arrangements were being intensified to evacuate more IDPs from the state soon.

Mustapha also disclosed that the government expends almost N600 million monthly for the upkeep of the state’s IDPs that are taking refuge in the various camps in Borno, Gombe and Adamawa States.

He disclosed that apart from expending almost N600,000 on those in the various camps, for their upkeep, their transportation and other miscellaneous expenses, a separate expenditure is being made on monthly basis on those living with relatives, friends and associates in various communities where they were being given free food.

Mustapha lauded the efforts of the Adamawa State Government in the upkeep of the various camps and in terms of accommodating the IDPs, saying that Adamawa State has been identifying with the plights of the displaced persons from various states affected by insurgency.

The Deputy Governor however expressed regret that the means of livelihood of the IDPs have been lost to the activities of the insurgents which invariably prevented them from celebrating this year’s Christmas in their respective areas.

Mustapha also envisaged that Borno is bound to experience food scarcity next year because 20 out of its 27 states have been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgents ,which made about 90 per cent of Borno citizens not to harvest their crops this year as they had to abandoned their farmlands for their safety.

He explained that in Maiduguri alone there are close to about two million people have been displaced have over 200,000 living in camps, while he  commended the military and other security agencies in Adamawa and Borno States for their collaborative efforts in curbing insurgency in the North-east region of the country.

He, however, appealed to them that more efforts should be intensified to address insurgency in Nigeria.

Source: This Day Live