Over 30,000 persons displaced by terrorists in Katsina in 4 months -Agency

BY ANDY ASEMOTA, Katina

Katsina State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) recorded over 20,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the state as at last weekend, Daily Champion has learnt.

The agency also recorded over 8,000 women and children who fled from the state to neighbouring French speaking Niger Republic as refugees following terrorists attacks in the last four months.

Investigations further revealed the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Jibia IDPs camp, the only officially recognized of such camps by the government, had been the temporary abode of no fewer than 8,125 persons in the past months.

A breakdown of the figure shows that out of over 1,113 households in Jibia IDPs camp, 1,485 are women while 2,668 are male children and 2,856 female children.

Giving further insight into the IDPs situation in the state, sources revealed that the residents of Faskari Local Government Area were severely overburdened as they graciously play host to 4,774 IDPs, followed by their Dandume counterparts faced with 2,567 IDPs as people of Sabuwa host 2,419 persons while Musawa and Kurfi are home to 1,241 and 392 IDPs respectively.

Authoritative sources also disclosed that 8,125 Katsina refugees in the last four months were squatting in Madarufa, Gidan Ringa, Kisa, Dan Abdallah and two other communities in Republic of Niger.

Eyewitnesses accounts said that the refugees and IDPs had however been receiving food items and relief materials from the Katsina State Government

with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Nigerian Refugees commission complemeting the government’s efforts in assisting the refugees in Niger.

Contacted, the spokesman of Katsina SEMA, Umar Mohammed, who confirmed this report, said the state government had also embarked on the reconstruction of Shinfida village in Jibia Local Government Area where most refugees from Katsina took off to Niger Republic in the aftermaths of terrorists’ attack that left their homes destroyed by the marauders as ghost town.