Jibia Flood: Katsina Govt shuts down IDP camp

The Katsina State Government on Saturday gave five days notice for the closure of the Internally Displaced Persons Camp (IDPs) in Jibia Local Government area, which was opened to accommodate over 1500 victims of the flood disaster that ravaged the town early July this year.

The Executive Secretary, Katsina State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Alhaji Haruna Rigoji, who announced the decision of government during the distribution of relief materials to the remaining inmates of the camp, said the state government was willing to give N20, 000 to the remaining 45 households that are still living in the camp.

He said “All the leaders of the households have been directed to use the N20, 000 to rent an accommodation in Jibia’’.

“After the expiration of the five days, the camp will be shut down and this is to encourage the people to reintegrate with their brothers and sisters in the town,”

In his remarks, the Director General of National Emergency Relief Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Maihaja, said that they were in Jibia to distribute some food items like beans and maize to the victims.

He said “We have also purchased 900 bags of cement, 800 ceiling, and 200 cartons of roofing nails for distribution to the victims,”

Maihaja, who was represented by the NEMA Coordinator for North-West zone, Mr Ishaya Chinoko, said that NEMA would bring some relief materials to the victims to make them self reliant.

The Nation recalled that SEMA had registered more than 1,500 flood victims in Jibia Local Government Area of the state, as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that are mainly victims of the flood disaster which ravaged the town early July recording deaths and the destruction of properties worth billions of naira

Umar Muhammad, the Public Relations Officer of SEMA, told The Nation exclusively that the closure of the camp brings to an end the sad memory of a huge loss, which the Katsina people will certainly remember for a long time

The disaster also rendered more than 1,000 people homeless and hundreds of animals killed and the loss of over 50 lives, while 20 others went missing.