BY YUNUSA BUNU, FEBRUARY 22, 2024 | 05:41 PM
Many residents of Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno have raised serious concerns over the hardship they are going through, especially in feeding their families given the recent nationwide hike in prices of commodities.
The town is suffering from severe food shortages as result of collapse of livelihoods since the Boko Haram crisis disrupted economic activities.
The guaranteed source of food supplies in relatively large amounts is the state government.
This morning, the residents threatened to collaborate with, as well as move to Boko Haram camps, as they said they cannot withstand the severe hunger.
YERWA EXPRESS NEWS learned that the residents, including IDPs, protested in the town, saying that the survival options available to them presently are limited.
A video obtained by our reporter showed hundreds of the residents in the streets, saying ‘hunger and thirst is killing us’.
Our reporter also learned from sources in the town that the terrorists in the adjoining bushes are luring the residents with incentives to cross over to their side as a way to address their food problems.
‘The terrorists are spreading news that they have food in large quantities and so use this as a campaign to attract the locals,’ our source explained.
‘The government must understand what is going on, and take immediate action to avert this looming catastrophe from happening,’ the source added.
Dikwa is a significant town in Borno State and used to be a major economic hub capital. At one time, it served as Borno’s seat of power.
Both the Nigerian Armed Forces and the state government have invested significant resources in reclaiming the town from the dreaded terrorists and restoring civil authority.
But much of Borno, like other parts of the country, is facing severe food shortages, exacerbated by the insurgency, which has prevented many from accessing their farmland or market.
Presently, the state government is distributing food and nonfood items to cushion the effects of the hardship.
However, with rise in the population of the resettled communities and the recent rise in living conditions, the people have been plunged to hunger.
Urgent government action is needed to address the food crisis, as failure to do so risks drawing the country back in permanently restoring peace.
As at time of filling the report, YEN NG couldn't speak to authorities especially the local government chairman as his number is not going through.
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