Boko Haram: NEMA Records Fresh 1,636 IDPs From Baga, Environs As 80 Drown In Boat Mishap On Lake Chad

Source: thewillnigeria.com

SAN FRANCISCO, January 06, (THEWILL) – The fall of the fishing town of Baga in Borno State, weekend, to Boko Haram is compounding the work of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Already, the agency has recorded no fewer than 1,632 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were force to flee to Maiduguri from Baga and the adjoining communities because of the recent capture of the town by the insurgents.

This came as over 80 fleeing Baga residents were feared drowned in an overloaded boat which capsized on the Lake Chad on their way to Chad

NEMA spokesman in the Northeast, Mallam AbdulKadir Ibrahim, said on Tuesday that the agency has registered people fleeing Monguno, Doron-Baga and other communities near Baga, which was captured by Boko Haram insurgents last weekend.

Ibrahim confirmed that so far NEMA has registered 1,636 people fleeing Baga and its environs for Maiduguri, saying

the breakdown of the figure shows that 1,172 were males and 464 were females, while a further breakdown shows that 779 were adult males and 393 children males with 216 adult females and 248 children females.

The NEMA spokesman said, the agency, in conjunction with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other stakeholders have provided the displaced people with relief materials.

According to him, “Those that were sick have been given medical attention while all hands are on deck as all the stakeholders in emergency management are doing what they can to attend to the need of the people.”

He also disclosed that many of the fleeing Baga residents had migrated to Chad, saying NEMA was already planning to bring them back.

“Recently, NEMA team was dispatched to Chad, Cameroon and Niger to ascertain the number of Nigerians displaced in these countries. Those who are willing to come back will be evacuated back to Nigeria with assistance from the host countries,” he said.

Meanwhile, over 80 fleeing Baga residents were feared killed as their boat capsised on the Lake Chad as they made their way to Chad Republic.

One of the fleeing residents, Bukar Kolo, said “Almost all the towns in northern part of Borno State have been sacked by the Boko Haram; so the information we got from people that escaped from Baga is that they are going to come for us.”

This came as a nother resident, Ibrahim Yunus, said he decided to flee with members of his family because the Boko Haram may soon attack them as the capacity of the military and the federal government to protect them have been depleted with the capture of Baga.

“It is sad that government cannot protect us from these rampaging insurgents who take delight in taking innocent lives,” he stated.