By Muhammad Amaan
Many of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by Alau Dam flood in Maiduguri have started leaving camps for their respective homes as water receded in many areas of the city.
According to reports, those leaving camps are provided with two weeks food ration and N10,000 each by the State Government which has embarked on distribution of cash and food items in the 32 camps across Maiduguri.
In his maiden briefing at the Flood Disaster Situation Room, the Borno Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman Tar, said over 30,000 households with a population of over 600,000 were registered.
He said that the government was committed to closing the camps within two weeks and was happy to see some people leaving after collecting their ration.
Prof. Tar said that about 40 per cent of the camps were being attended to with the cash and food palliatives by members of the flood committee.
According to him, a Rapid Assessment Team had been established with technically qualified individuals and community leaders to go round and assess damage for government support.
“The committee will go round and check the nature of destruction on homes and determine the cash equivalent of the destruction on the basis of which the government shall provide cash support to each household.
On incidents of looting in some affected areas, Tar said that security men had been mobilised with many arrests made.
He cautioned against some reported dangerous activities like consumption of dead animals, contaminated food and drugs, adding that public enlightenment was on for arrest and prosecution of those involved in the sales and distribution of contaminated items.
“The issue of escaped animals from the Maiduguri Zoo, a team has been dispatched to trace them with many captured.
“I am happy to tell you that the Lion in the zoo survived the flood and is being rehabilitated,” the commissioner said.
