About fifteen thousand internally displaced persons from Sokoto and Zamfara States have crossed to Niger Republic and are taking refuge there.
The coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, Sokoto Operations Office , Kofoworola Soleye, disclosed this yesterday.
Speaking during the stakeholders’ meeting on disaster management in Gusau, Soleye said the displaced persons were mainly from 27 communities in Isah Local Government Area of Sokoto State. He said the agency went for the assessment of Nigerian refugees who fled to the neighbouring communities of Guidan Roumdji in Maradi region of the Niger Republic in the aftermath of recent armed bandits’ invasions at villages of Isah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
“They are living in about nine host communities and are willing to come back to their homes. They need humanitarian assistance as facilities there are overstretched,” he said.
Soleye said he led the agency’s staff, international humanitarian organisations, government authorities and other critical stakeholders to conduct the need assessment exercise.
“The assessment team discovered that following the bandits attacks no fewer than 15,000, mostly women and children are presently taking refuge in neighbouring communities of Niger Republic,” he added.
