Borno officials in panic as Buhari grills them about malnourished, dying IDPs

Borno officials were called on the carpet to President Muhammadu Buhari to explain malnutrition and numerous deaths of internally displaced persons.

Borno officials seem to be in big trouble as President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking explanation of “catastrophic” health crisis unfolding at the governmental camps for persons displaced by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Officials of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock villa in Abuja on Monday.

READ ALSO: Outrageous! What happened to 200 IDPs will make you cry

Premium Times reports that the president is irate at the catastrophic humanitarian emergency situation at the camps for the IDPs despite the billions of naira and hunamitarian aid provided by the federal government, state governments, non-governmental organisations and private individuals.

The reaction from presidency comes days after Médecins Sans Frontières also known as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) released the statement and photographs showing malnourished and dying people in the camps.

The agency has recently issued a disturbing report on their inspection of a camp, where they found about 1,233 graves, 480 of which contain children, located near the camp. According to the MSF, 24,000 IDPs are in dire health situation with at least six people – mostly children – dying every day.

READ ALSO: I have not owed salaries in five years – Gov Shettima boasts

Two weeks ago, Kashim Shettima, the governor of Borno state, visited a Bama camp after receiving reports about dozens of people rescued from Boko Haram captivity only to die at the camps. Mr Shettima ordered to relocate 61 children with severe form of malnutrition to intensive care unit  in Maiduguri.

Besides, this month the MSF jointly with Nigerian authorities reportedly evacuated 1,192 people in need of medical treatment from the Bama area.

Mortality at its highest

An unnamed official at Bama camp commented on the situation: “We have been recording daily cases of mortality here in the camp since the soldiers brought in these set of IDPs who had been under the Boko Haram insurgents’ captivity for over two years.”

Another source who recently visited the mentioned camp said: “The local camp officials in Bama could not notice the case of malnutrition in the IDPs hence they continued to feed them with the normal staple foods consumed by the camp inmates.”

Unofficial reason for the IDPs’ malnourishment and deaths

While the state government is yet to give an official reaction to the MSF’s report, an anonymous aide of Governor Shettima expressed his doubt about the international organisation actually visiting to the camp.

He said: “The MSF had never visited the camps, even though other aid workers have been going to the camp frequently. 

It was because the Governor visited Bama and brought the sick and malnourished IDPs to Maiduguri after the soldiers of the Nigeria Army rescued them that even the MSF were able to go there to administer medication on them. 

But instead of acknowledging our effort they were busy issuing statements claiming credit for what they did not do.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram survivors risk dying of starvation as Borno officials divert relief materials

The Governor had visited the camp twice and the Deputy Governor too had also visited the camp couple of times and all these while life in the camp was normal.

Until soldiers rescued these group of malnourished persons early this month and moved them into the Bama camp. 

It was not as if the malnourishment was as a result of the situation in the camp but because of the torture and hunger the Boko Haram insurgents subjected them to over two years.”

Earlier today Governor Kashim Shettima has signaled his government’s intention to resettle IDPs into their homes by December 2016.

The post Borno officials in panic as Buhari grills them about malnourished, dying IDPs appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Nigerian newspapers.