By ABBAS BAMALLI

No fewer than 3,000 children were sacked from school by bandits activities across some communities in Jibia Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State.

Malam Sa’ad Salihu, the Chairman of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp, disclosed this during a visit to the area by newsmen on Monday.

Salisu, who is also the Chairman of Shimfida Youth Development Association, said some of the children were in school when the people of the communities started running out of the area because of the bandits.

He explained that many of the IDPs, who were presently at Government Girls’ Secondary School, Jibia, came from Kwari, Zango, Shimfida,Tsauni, Far Faru, Tsambe and Gurbin Magariya communities.

According to him, it is a great setback in the education sector due to the large number of the children sent out of school by the bandits, saying that over 15,000 IDPs were currently in the camp.

“At least, 23 women and children have died at the camp within four months, either as a result of hypertension or depression, while 35 women gave birth.

“Over 3,000 children who are currently in the camp could not have access to education at the moment.”

“From the Shimfida community alone, we have 8,000 people that are in this camp; Far Faru Community, over 7,000 and about 200 were from the Zango community.

“Some of the IDPs are there in some parts of Niger Republic; all in all, about 20,000 people were sacked out of their communities by the bandits.

“But not all of us are sleeping here because of the lack of mattresses, water, mats and mosquito nets. Some of the women go to their relatives’ houses to sleep,” Salihu said.

Salihu revealed that they have abandoned their farms and had no access to them because the bandits took over the lands.

He appealed to the state government to do everything possible to restore security in their communities to enable them to return and continue with their normal life.

Responding to questions, the Chairman, Jibia LGA, Alhaji Bishir Sabi’u, confirmed that many children were sent out of school in some communities.

He revealed that the government had provided adequate relief materials to the IDPs, saying that government alone could not handle the situation.

According to him, the council spends N200,000 weekly to feed the IDPs apart from the foodstuffs already provided by the state government. (NAN)

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