Panic swept through an IDP camp in Ngamma village, Gujba LGA, Yobe State, as a raging fire gutted at least 76 makeshift shelters, leaving dozens of families homeless and destroying their belongings.
As gathered, the fire destroyed food supplies, clothing, bedding, and other personal effects, leaving families stranded and vulnerable.
Many of the IDPs, who reportedly migrated from Borno following persistent Boko Haram attacks, lost virtually everything they had managed to salvage since being displaced, compounding their hardship in the already challenging camp conditions.
Following directives from Governor Mai Mala Buni, officials of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) visited the camp on Thursday to assess the scale of the destruction.
Preliminary findings from SEMA’s assessment show that one person sustained injuries and was hospitalised. One entire household was burnt to the ground, while the fire also destroyed livestock and a large quantity of stored foodstuffs belonging to the displaced families.
Meanwhile, victims and eyewitnesses appealed to the government and aid organisations for urgent relief, stressing that immediate assistance was needed to prevent further suffering as displaced families struggle to rebuild their lives.
