The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that 7,000 people were displaced in recent bandit attacks in two local governments of Sokoto State.

Mr Manzo Ezekiel, the agency’s Head of Media and Public Relations, announced this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Ezekiel listed the affected councils as Sabon Birni and Isa Local Government Areas.

According to the statement, a joint assessment by the staff of NEMA and Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), established that no fewer than 6,200 of the affected persons were currently living in camps and host communities.

The camps are in Sabon Birni Primary School, Isa town in Sokoto State and neighbouring Shinkafi town in Zamfara.

Alhaji Aliyu Kafindangi, Head of NEMA’s Sokoto Operations Office, who led the assessment team, sympathised with victims of the banditry attack and assured them of necessary relief support.

“Many communities in Sabon Birni and Isa were affected by several incidents of banditry attacks, which resulted in the loss of lives, injury, property damages including houses, livestock and displacement of the people from their homes.

“Due to the tense security situation, NEMA team could not access the areas immediately,’’ he said.

(Guardian)