3,000 in Newly Liberated Borno Communities Seek Aid

Michael Olugbode

More than 3000 persons are now without food, water and shelter in newly liberated Rann, the headquarters of Kala Balge local government area of Borno State, and its environs.

Indigenes of the area told journalists in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, that after the dislodgment by the Nigerian troops of pockets of insurgents from the area that share borders with Cameroon Republic over a week ago, the humanitarian workers have not been sighted and have made over 3,000 people liberated from Boko Haram to suffer untold hardship.

One of those who spoke to journalists anonymously said mostly affected are women and children who survived the onslaught in the area and are now taking refuge at Rann in Kala-Balge.

He said they are left without food or water, as there was no presence of officials from National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) or Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to render humanitarian services with the area largely inaccessibility.

Speaking on the development to journalists, the Borno State Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Hon. Usman Zannah who expressed concern on the plights of the newly liberated people, promised that state government is taking immediate measures to address the myriads of problems faced by the trapped citizens in Kala-Balge.

He said: “We just received a message that more than 3000 people mostly women and children are stranded after the liberation of Kala-Balge and other surrounding villages, we have started mobilizing people including security operatives, SEMA officials and members of the civilian JTF to deliver relief materials to those victims as soon as possible”.

The Information Officer of NEMA, Mallam Abdulkadir Ibrahim who also responded to journalists’ enquiries on fate of the people of Kala-Balge, said necessary arrangement and assessment have been put in place by the agency to render humanitarian assistance to the displaced persons.

“We have received the report that over 3000 IDPs were at some of our satellite camps in Kala-Balge, and we have finished the assessment process, and very soon we will reach out to them”, he promised.