Over 410 Births and 187 Marriages Were Recorded At Borno and Adamawa States’ IDP Camps

The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani Sidi stated when members of ‘Bring Back Our Girls Group’ (BBOG) paid him a courtesy call in his office that over 410 births were recorded between August and September, 2015 and 187 marriages were conducted at Internally Displaced Persons camps in Borno and Adamawa States.

Sani Sidi explained that 100 marriages were conducted in Maiduguri camps alone and 87 were recorded in Adamawa camps, adding that emergency education for IDP children has become a major priority after unprecedented insurgency attacks on students, teachers and schooling infrastructure where about 269 teachers lost their lives.

Muhammad Sani Sidi hinted that the agency in ensuring efficient management of camps has trained personnel in camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) and deployed them to manage various IDP camps in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa as well as provide the needs of vulnerable people during emergencies. He appealed that the advocacy group should extend their platform to other issues like unaccompanied minors and mass childbirths in the camps as disaster management is multidisciplinary, multidimensional and multitasking.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the group, Oby Ezekwesili expressed displeasure over the abduction of the Chibok girls, saying today marks the 596th day since they have been abducted. She expressed the expectation that NEMA will expedite cooperation and mobilization efforts towards protecting and caring for the vulnerable in the society.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Bring Back Our Girls Group, Aisha Yesufu stated that they were at the agency’s head office for collaboration in the areas of education, IDPs living conditions, security, health and how their platform could be helpful to support the efforts of the Federal Government and the IDPs where the agency deem it necessary.

MAIDUGURI (NEMA Report)