By Michael Olukayode, Maiduguri
Residents
of Kayamla in Borno State have taken to sleeping on Maiduguri street for fear
of being attacked by Boko Haram.
The people numbering about 1000 from about 300 households have been sleeping on
a street in Maiduguri when they were turned back by internally displaced
persons camps on arrival about two weeks ago.
Kayamla in Konduga local government area of troubled Borno State and about 20
kilometres from the state capital Maiduguri.
The people who were seen beside the NYSC
IDPs camp in the centre of Maiduguri, said they had to flee into Maiduguri when
villages around them was attacked and they felt they may be raided by Boko
Haram.
They said they tried to get admitted in some internally displaced persons camps
in Maiduguri but were turned back and they subsequently decided to sleep on the
road.
Speaking to our correspondent on Monday
morning the women said their husband sent them into Maiduguri to seek refuge
while they stay back in Kayamla.
One of the women, Maimunat Abba said: “We have been staying here for about two
weeks now, we have no choice but to sleep on the street since we were turn back
from the camps.
“Even this camp (NYSC IDPs camp) told us that they do not have room for us and
we decided to stay on the road. We have been sleep in the cold since then.”
She added that: “All the money on them have been exhausted and they find it
difficult to have a decent meal.”
She narrated that they decided to flee into Maiduguri when it was becoming
apparent that their village might be attacked as other around them have been
attacked with the people deserted the place.
The people however were subsequently taken off the streets to the Stadium IDPs
camp by the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (BISEMA) on Monday
afternoon.
They were equally given supply of relief materials by the North East
Development Commission.
Speaking to journalists, the Chairperson of BOSEMA, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo said the
state government got to know of their predicaments few hours ago and
immediately they arranged accommodation for them at the Stadium IDPs camp.
She revealed that they are about 300 households and numbered over a thousand.
