Nigeria fumigates IDP camp in Maiduguri, Borno gets COVID-19 center

Nigerian health authorities have undertaken a massive disinfection and fumigation in an Internally Displace Persons camp in Maiduguri, capital of the northeastern Borno State.

The effort is part of efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The exercise comes after leaders in the camp had complained of lack of government support during this pandemic.

There has been no reported case of the virus in Borno. Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi and Kano are some of the northern states with cases as of April 17.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, reported earlier this week that Borno could test for the virus after a laboratory was fitted with the necessary tools and manpower to run tests. Kano also has a similar facility at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

Abba Kaka Ibrahim, a camp emergency management manager thanked the state government for the support. “We thank the Borno state government for the support given to these IDPs, for spraying of these chemicals for prevention of this virus. We really thank Bosepa [Borno State Environmental Protection Agency] and the Borno state management agency.

Nigeria’s restrictions on movement and business to curb the coronavirus has increased demand for food aid in the camps, while the coronavirus pandemic has raised fears among IDPs on how they will cope.

Nigeria has as of April 17 recorded 442 cases of COVID-19 with 13 deaths and 152 recoveries.