Maiduguri Flood Victims Return Home As Water Levels Drop

Many residents displaced by the Alau Dam flood in Maiduguri have started leaving camps for their respective homes as water levels are dropping in many areas of the city.

The Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, disclosed during his maiden briefing at the Flood Disaster Situation Room on Thursday.

According to Tar, all those leaving camps are provided with a two-week food ration and N10,000 each by the state government.

The commissioner said the government was committed to closing the camps within two weeks and was happy to see some people leaving after collecting their ration.

He added that 30,000 households with a population of over 600,000 were registered in the various Internally Displaced Persons camp set up by the government.

According to Tar, about 40 per cent of the camps were being attended to with the cash and food palliatives by members of the flood committee.

He revealed that 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 operatives had been mobilised with many arrests made.