No fewer than thirty households have been displaced following a fire outbreak at the Rabiri Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Rabiri, Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The inferno, which occurred on Wednesday evening, gutted several sections of the camp, completely destroying makeshift shelters and valuable personal belongings.
Many of the affected families have now been rendered homeless for the second time in nearly a decade, having earlier fled their communities due to insurgency.
Items lost in the fire include food supplies, non-food relief materials, livestock, and other sources of livelihood, further worsening the plight of the already vulnerable victims.
Most of the affected households are from Mukdala community in Mallam Maja Ward and Kudiye community in Afuye Ward, while others are from Massa and Ngubdori Chilaiye communities in Ufuye/Gujile Ward.
An eyewitness and resident of Dikwa, Abubakar Mustapha, told Radio Nigeria that the fire started at about 6:19 p.m., around the time of Maghrib prayers, and rapidly spread out of control before help could arrive.
Among those affected is a local tailor whose shop was completely destroyed in the blaze, including sewing machines and customers’ clothes, cutting off his only means of livelihood.
Meanwhile, the Dikwa Local Government Authority has intervened by assessing the extent of the damage and mobilising support for the affected families. Authorities have also advised residents of the camp to strictly observe fire safety measures to prevent future occurrences.
