The Niger State Government has spent over N5 billion in the maintenance of 151,380 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) currently taking refuge in about 50,584 camps in 13 local government areas of the state.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ahmed Matane, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday, said the gesture took place in the last two years.

Matane said that the state government was currently running the affairs of the camps in the 13 local government areas of Shiroro, Rafi, Bosso, Munya, Paikoro, Mariga, Kontagora, Mashegu, Wushishi, Rijau, Burgu, Lapai and Lavun.

“We have 14,994 women, 4,992 men, 30,584 children, 4,466 pregnant women, 5,811 lactating mothers, 1,370 number of those with health challenges and 722 aged persons across the existing camps,” he said.

He said that Rafi Local Government Area had a total of 28,987 IDPs living in 13,989 camps.

According to him, 4,124 among them were women, 1,089 were men, 8,774, children, 1,206 pregnant women, 1615 lactating mothers, 391 suffering from various sickness and 238 aged persons.

We have 27,678 of the IDPs in Shiroro Local Government Area, among whom 13,790 are women, 3,570 men, 9,245 children, 1,156 pregnant women, 944 lactating mothers, 476 suffering from diseases and 162 aged persons.

“We also have many people from the area that are living in rented apartments as IDPs that were spread across the state and beyond,” the SSG added.