Tragedy for Borno IDPs as fire guts 200 houses
A late morning fire, Monday, February 6, razed down about 200 houses at the unofficial section of the Muna Internally Displaced Persons’ camp on the outskirts of the Maiduguri metropolis, Borno State.
Eyewitnesses, who could not ascertain the cause of the fire, said it flared up, sweeping across the all-thatched houses by 11am.
The population of the IDPs affected could not also be immediately ascertained, due to the fact that it is an unofficial camp.
“I lost everything comprising all my three rooms, wearing apparels, beds and beddings, and one sack of guinea corn,” Modu Maina, 70, who hails from Bale in Mafa Local Government Area, and has two wives and three children, told The PUNCH.
He estimated the cost of his property lost to the fire to be over N100,000.
“My two rooms, beddings, and all food items were all burnt down,” Gubo Lawan, 60, who has a wife and six children, said. He could not, however, estimate the cost of his losses.
“My three rooms, two sacks of maize and two grinding machines were all lost to the fire,” Modu Malam Aja, 65, who has one wife and eight children, told PUNCH.
Aja estimated the cost of his property lost to fire at N300,000, including the two grinding machines each of which he said cost N50,000.
The fire, according to eyewitnesses, flared up at about 11am and lasted for about 15 minutes, with the aid of cold season wind.
The National Emergency Management Agency and other emergency responders would not comment on the incident due to the fact that it is an unofficial camp.
(Punch)
