Federal Government sends relief materials to victims of Maiduguri fire incident

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has activated the National Emergency Management Agency humanitarian response mechanism.

The move was to ensure victims of the Maiduguri IDP camp fire incident were immediately provided with basic humanitarian items to ameliorate the effects of the fire outbreak which has displaced many families.

The Minister,  Sadiya Umar Farouq said this while sympathizing with Internally Displaced Persons at the Customs Area of Maiduguri, where more than 600 shelters were razed by fire, 3,600 persons displaced and 3 lives lost in the inferno.

Umar Farouq noted with sadness at the spate of fire incidents in the country, saying it was becoming worrisome.

“I am depressed by the number of fire incidents which have occurred  in 2021 alone. Some were accidents while some could have been avoided”. 

“I pray for the souls of those who lost their lives in this fire outbreak while the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry will beef up   measures to protect lives and property in the various IDP camps across the country and guard against a reoccurrence”.

Meanwhile the National Emergency Management Agency has deployed sets of tents to provide make shift  shelters for the IDPs.

In addition, food items and  basic household materials are being made available to the IDPs.

The Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Yabawa Kolo said  on Wednesday that  the inferno might have stemmed from a cooking fire that got out of control in one of the tents.

NEMA and the SEMA are currently collaborating to put measures in place to avoid a  recurrence through advocacy and sensitisation in the camps.

Ime N