The Director of Public Affairs in Adamawa State, Phineas Elisha, has described the situation in Adamawa State as pathetic due to the massive rise in the influx of Internally Displaced Persons.
Speaking on the Monday edition of Channels Television breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, he said “We have an influx of internally displaced persons in Adamawa State, the number has more than tripled because of the situation in Mubi town. That is what the State Government is contending with.”
He revealed that the situation has also become an international issue as about 3000 to 4000 citizens of Mubi and its environment who crossed to Cameroon have not been allowed to return to Nigeria.
“As of now, His Excellency is putting up a report. He’s had to travel to Abuja to see the C-in-C. He will also look for the Head of the UN High Commission for Refugee because they need to intervene to allow these Nigerians come back into Nigeria.”
He stated, however, that within the powers of the State Government, efforts were being made to manage the situation, including reviewing the curfew time of 11PM – 5AM, which has been in place since the imposition of the State of Emergency, to between 9PM to 5AM.
Although he stated that as at Monday morning there had been no fresh attacks in any part of the state, he noted that the level of fear and agitation was very high with the high number of IDPs but there were assurances from military authorities.
“We have been assured that the military is on top of this particular matter and whatever they are doing is not for us to discuss,” he said.
Asked how sure he was about the assurances by the military, considering several assurances in the past, Mr Elisha maintained that the authorities were optimistic that the military would indeed be able to handle the situation.
He also expressed optimism in the ceasefire deal being brokered by the Federal Government, “We know it will take time, we understand that because of the nature of the insurgency but we are still optimistic.”
He said, however that they were not dependent only on the military, as the State Government had summoned the traditional rulers for a meeting to enable the state tackle the matter from the community level.
In response to beliefs that there was information that the recent attacks were going to be carried out, Mr Elisha said that the State Government had no such prior information “otherwise Government would have advised the indigenes to brace up, especially the students of Adamawa State University and also the Federal Polytechnic Mubi who were caught up in the attack”.
