Residents of the Shatta-Sabo community of Bangajiya Ward in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State have appealed to the state government to set up an alternative camp for Internally Displaced Persons taking refuge in Shatta-Sabo Primary School.
The people made the appeal in a communique jointly signed by Malam Tanimu Doma, the ward head of Shatta-Sabo; Yakubu Inuwa, ward head of Kutakwo; and Mr Danjuma J. Wakili, the chairman of Gayin Development Association, Shatta-Sabo after an emergency meeting in Shatta-Sabo, recently.
They lamented the 50 IDPs displaced by bandits from Madaka Village of Rafi Local Government Area who are presently taking refuge in the primary school and would disrupt learning with school set to resume after holidays.
The communique explained, “the facility(school) will not serve both the IDPs and the pupils as it would be overstretched. We are appealing to the government to set up an alternative IDP camp to be provided for the displaced persons”.
The residents called on the government to include them in compensation for the ongoing construction of Zungeru Hydro-electric Dam which has affected them by washing away their farmlands including unharvested farm produce, adding that over nine houses were totally submerged in water forcing the people to leave their homes.
Earlier, Shatta-Sabo village was exempted from compensation payment as it was believed the water from the Zungeru Dam did not affect them.
“With the present situation, we are appealing to the government as a matter of urgency through Minna Emirate to reconsider and include Sabon-Shatta in the compensation,” the communique pleaded.
It further commended the effort of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and the Emir of Minna, Alh. Umar Farouq Bahago for their role towards ensuring that the affected communities in the riverine areas are duly compensated and safeguarded.
