Epidemic looms as corpses litter Borno villages

The residents of Borno State have raised fears of possible epidemic in parts of the state with the high number of corpses littering some villages, which were attacked last week by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Leaders of the affected communities have already raised the alarm about possible epidemic because the people have not been able to bury the corpses because of the presence of the insurgents in the villages.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting of stakeholders of affected areas in the Gwoza Local Government Area, held in Maiduguri, the district head of one of the wards under siege, Lawan John, who was compelled to relocate to Maiduguri, said that 109 people had so far been buried since the attacks started.

“Corpses still littered our villages because we didn’t have access to the villages as the insurgents were still hanging around,” John said.

According to him, many of their people are trapped in the mountains and hills and they are without food to eat for days.

“They rely on people from Pogu village, who go there to give them food; and right now there is no food left in the village,” the district head added.

He said in some of the villages, the insurgents were still moving around on motorcycles and shooting anybody who attempted to descend from the mountain.