By Inusa Ndahi, Maiduguri
The Sani Abacha Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp has been gutted by fire on Thursday, killing five people. Many children were injured while asleep in makeshift tents.
Even though the cause of inferno was yet to be ascertained, it was suspected to have started from a local kitchen, at the west flank of the camp.
Fire service men were unable to put off the fire, as only a fire fighting vehicle could reach the camp, three hours after the outbreak.
According to an international humanitarian agency source in Maiduguri, five people were killed, including three children while many others sustained various degrees of burns.
The source also told our correspondent that 7,457 IDPs were rendered homeless, clutching some of their personal effects along Damboa Road and Motor Park.
“It is an unfortunate day for the people of Monguno today, February 7, 2019, particularly the IDPs occupying the Stadium camp, due to fire outbreak by 11.30am,” said the Agency source.
The agency said that the inferno lasted 45 minutes before the arrival of fire fighters.