Famine Looms In Borno Over Insurgency

There are imminent threats of famine in most communities in Borno State as a result of the destructive activities of the Islamic extremists, Boko Haram, the Ad Hoc Committee probing the 2013 Presidential Relief Materials in the state, has said.
The committee, while submitting its findings to the Federal Government, urged the Presidency to consider allocating at least 1,000 trucks of grains to the troubled states of the North East in order to avert the looming famine.
The committee submitted its findings to the Federal Government through the Minister of State for Power, Mr. Mohammed Wakil in Abuja, yesterday.
According to the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, Mr. Bashir Maidugu, the price of food items in communities in states where emergency was declared by the president had increased tremendously.
He said, “Already, food items have skyrocketed in those areas. There are reports of drought in the neighbouring Niger Republic this year. In Borno State for example, most surrounding villages and towns around Maiduguri have virtually become ghost settlements as their inhabitants have migrated to Maiduguri.
“This has starved the city of traditional supply of food items and other essential commodities. We must state here that Maiduguri infrastructure is over stretched. The magnanimity of Mr. President last year is commendable as the purpose of the strategic grains reserve programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria has been achieved.”
Maidugu recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had last year approved about 650 trucks of various grains for disbursement to the troubled states.