The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Wednesday it would assist 35 communities hit by the recent violence which affected Nasarawa State.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, the agency’s North-Central Co-ordinator, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the exercise would be handled by NEMA and the emergency management agencies in Nasarawa State and Plateau.
He said officials of the Quan Pan Local Government Emergency Management Agency would also be involved.
"Those identified for the assistance were communities whose members lost their houses and farmlands to the violence which affected Eggon, Alago, Fulani and Tiv communities in the Asakio, Obi and Adabu Local Government Areas (LGAs)," the NEMA official said.
He said NEMA was already seeking Federal Government’s approval for building materials to enable such communities to rebuild their houses which were destroyed when the recent violence erupted in the areas.
Abdulsalam disclosed that 45,000 persons had been displaced by the recent violence in Nasarawa.
He said the internally displaced persons (IDPs) were camping at Namu village in Quan Pan LGA of Plateau.
"Namu is a border village between Plateau and Nasarawa state, so the fleeing victims just ran across to take refuge.
"There are also some displaced persons in Kwande and Kurgwi to whom we have taken some relief materials," the NEMA co-ordinator said.
He explained, however, that the situation was better and hinted that NEMA would meet with Nasarawa State Government officials very soon.
"This is to facilitate the return of the IDPs to their villages to resume their normal lives," Abdulsalam said.
He said NEMA was particularly worried that the IDPs were camped in a primary school, pointing out that this had affected the education of the pupils there.
The NEMA official lamented that the situation had made some communities to lose "practically everything".
He expressed his regret that the victims were women and children, who were usually the most vulnerable groups in the society.
To check further occurrences, Abdulsalam said NEMA had recruited 6,000 volunteers in the zone, and tasked them with detecting early warnings and reporting same promptly.
"We hope to recruit even more and adequately train them to serve as informants, first respondents and our first advisers in case of any emergency," he said.
He said officials of the Quan Pan Local Government Emergency Management Agency would also be involved.
"Those identified for the assistance were communities whose members lost their houses and farmlands to the violence which affected Eggon, Alago, Fulani and Tiv communities in the Asakio, Obi and Adabu Local Government Areas (LGAs)," the NEMA official said.
He said NEMA was already seeking Federal Government’s approval for building materials to enable such communities to rebuild their houses which were destroyed when the recent violence erupted in the areas.
Abdulsalam disclosed that 45,000 persons had been displaced by the recent violence in Nasarawa.
He said the internally displaced persons (IDPs) were camping at Namu village in Quan Pan LGA of Plateau.
"Namu is a border village between Plateau and Nasarawa state, so the fleeing victims just ran across to take refuge.
"There are also some displaced persons in Kwande and Kurgwi to whom we have taken some relief materials," the NEMA co-ordinator said.
He explained, however, that the situation was better and hinted that NEMA would meet with Nasarawa State Government officials very soon.
"This is to facilitate the return of the IDPs to their villages to resume their normal lives," Abdulsalam said.
He said NEMA was particularly worried that the IDPs were camped in a primary school, pointing out that this had affected the education of the pupils there.
The NEMA official lamented that the situation had made some communities to lose "practically everything".
He expressed his regret that the victims were women and children, who were usually the most vulnerable groups in the society.
To check further occurrences, Abdulsalam said NEMA had recruited 6,000 volunteers in the zone, and tasked them with detecting early warnings and reporting same promptly.
"We hope to recruit even more and adequately train them to serve as informants, first respondents and our first advisers in case of any emergency," he said.
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