IDP camps destroyed by fire in Borno

 

Parts of two internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Borno State have been destroyed by fire.

On Monday, an inferno destroyed parts of a camp in Nganzai local government area of the state

A source at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said for the fire at Nganzai, the details are sketchy for the town remain difficult to travel to because of the constant threat of Boko Haram attack on the highway leading to the area.

The second incident occurred at the highly populated Customs IDP camp in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

The incident, which started at about 6am, according to some displaced persons at the camp destroyed over 600 shelters and led to the death of a child and injured two old women.

It was gathered that the fire could have resulted from one of the hut getting lighted by wayward fire from the firewood cooking of one of the women living on the camp.

The incident led to an inferno which consumed over 600 mostly thatched shelters and it took over an hour put out.

One of the IDPs who spoke to journalists, said: “The fire outbreak consumed parts of the camp and was put out by the combined efforts of the IDPs, security agents and officials of the federal and state fire service.”

Surprisingly enough when everyone thought the doom was over, fire broke up in another part of the same camp (Customs IDP camp) about four hours later, destroying many of the makeshift tents.

Speaking on the incidents, the spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency in the Northeast, Mallam AbdulKadir Ibrahim said a team as been dispatched to assess the damage at the Maiduguri camp.

He said “it is sad that after series of lectures organized for the IDPs on how to handle fire and to cook they keep making mistakes that continue to cause infernos.”

He said: “Two days ago there was an inferno at Nganzai camp and just today (Wednesday) there is this one at the Customs IDP camp.”

Ibrahim said: “We (NEMA) is left with no other choice but to continue to enlighten the displaced persons on how to handle fire and cook.”

When contacted by journalists, the Acting Zonal Coordinator, NEMA, Ishaya Chinoko, disclosed that emergency response had been dispatched and initial needs assessment conducted.

He promised that relief would soon be provided to the affected victims.

Customs IDP camps is one of the largest within Maiduguri, the Borno State capital with a total of 14,250 displaced persons from three local government areas of Dikwa, Mafa and Bama.