The Borno state government, Monday imposed a four-week ban on visitors to all Internally Displaced Persons Camp (IDPs) in the state.
Executive Chaiman of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, stated this at a meeting with about 50 IDPs camps managers.
She also said that the decision was part of the state’ Government’s strategy to contain the spread of the pandemic for coronavirus in the state.
“We know we have a lot of threat around us following sighting of suspected cases of the virus in Cameroon and Chad and we have some border towns very close to those countries.
“We do not want to go to the issue of response because even in developed countries, it was difficult for them to contain this pandemic. So, at our own level, we are positioning ourselves to see how best we can stop the virus from transmitting in the state,” Yabawa said.
She added that the state government took the decision as one of the strategies to prevent the importation of the coronavirus into the IDP camps into the state.
Yabawa stated further that the measure became necessary as some of the neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon Republics have started recording cases of coronavirus.
She noted that in spite of the closure of the international borders with the neighbouring countries, there was still influx of IDPs into the state.
The SEMA chairman further warned IDPs camps managers from Gamboru-Ngala, Damasak, Kala Balge, Banki, Bama and Monguno not to accept IDPs from neighbouring countries into their camps.
