Banditry in Nigeria: NEMA distributes relief items to Niger households

The National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria on Thursday announced that it had commenced the direct distribution of relief materials to 24,925 households of internally displaced persons affected by banditry in 14 Local Government Areas of Niger State.

Director-General, NEMA, Muhammadu Muhammed, flagged off the relief materials distribution in Kuta, the headquarters of Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

A statement issued in Abuja by the agency’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Manzo Ezekiel, stated that Muhammed, who was represented by the Head of Minna Operations Office, Zainab Saidu, sympathised with the affected persons.

He said the relief materials approved by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), were delivered to complement the efforts of the Niger State Government and others to provide the affected persons with succour.

The NEMA boss stated that a joint assessment recently conducted by its staff and Niger State Emergency Management Agency showed that the IDPs were in need of food support.

“It was on this basis that the presidential approval was obtained and the requisite materials comprising of 5,412 bags (10kg) of rice, 5,412 bags (10kg) of beans, 500 kegs of vegetable oil, 500 cartons of seasoning cubes and 500 bags of iodized salt were delivered to them,” Muhammed said.

He explained that the materials would be distributed directly to the affected persons in the camps and host communities by NEMA staff in collaboration with officials of the state emergency management agency.

Muhammed outlined the beneficiary LGAs to include Rafi, Shiroro, Bosso, Munya, Paikoro, Mariga, Kontagora, Magama, Mashegu, Wushishi, Rijau, Borgu, Lapai and Lavun.