By Abdallah el-Kurebe
Following media reports that Governor Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi state had failed to evacuate the 1,600 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that were brought to Sokoto from Geidam in Yobe state, the governor on Sunday night, finally dispatched a team led by the Executive Director of Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Engr. Yahaya Chindo to arrange their evacuation to Kebbi.
The IDPs, who had been camped at the Sokoto Rehabilitation Centre in Wamakko local government of Sokoto state, Chindo explained, would be camped at Kebbi State Hajj Camp where they would be handed over to traditional leaders and local government councils of the areas the IDPs claim.
He further said that the state government had made arrangements to assist the IDPs to enable them engage in petty businesses and temporary place of abode.
One of the IDPs who gave birth at the camp in Geidam, Yobe state, Fati Abbas in a chat with Newsdiaryonline expressed happiness that she was going to be united with her family.
Isa Lawal (32) said: “We are happy with the state government, although it came rather late.”
The Assistant Zonal Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Thickman Tanimu said that with the evacuation of the 1,600 to Kebbi, less than 300 IDPs now remained in the camp.
He added that the camp would remain open in the event that additional IDPS are brought from Yobe.
