Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Ngamma, Gujba Local Government Area — A devastating fire outbreak has destroyed more than 76 temporary shelters belonging to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ngamma village, leaving dozens of families exposed and struggling for survival, local reports confirmed on Friday, January 16, 2026.
The affected structures were makeshift homes for displaced families, primarily migrants from neighbouring Borno State, who had taken refuge in the community from ongoing insecurity in northeast Nigeria. The blaze, which swept through the settlement late on Thursday night, consumed the shelters, along with livestock and stored foodstuffs, compounding the already fragile conditions of the displaced households. Preliminary damage assessments indicate that one person was hospitalised for injuries sustained in the fire, while an entire household’s possessions were completely destroyed in the inferno, according to early reports.
Following the incident, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni directed the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to visit the scene and conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the destruction. SEMA teams have begun documenting the extent of the losses and the immediate needs of affected families as part of the initial response to the outbreak.
Eyewitnesses and victims, many of whom lost their shelters and limited possessions, described the scene with trembling voices and tears, appealing urgently for humanitarian assistance, including emergency shelter materials, food supplies and other essential support to help them recover. Community members lamented that the fire has made an already difficult situation even more precarious, stripping vulnerable households of basic protection and sustenance.
The displacement of families across northeastern Nigeria, including Yobe State, has long been linked to insecurity and violence, forcing many to seek refuge in temporary settlements often lacking robust infrastructure or adequate safety measures. Fires in these environments are a persistent risk due to closely packed makeshift shelters constructed from flammable materials and the use of open flames for cooking and lighting — conditions that have led to similar outbreaks in other parts of the region’s displacement settlements.
In the wake of the blaze, affected residents and local leaders have renewed calls for swift assistance from government agencies, humanitarian organisations and community partners to prevent a worsening of hardship for displaced families who now face an uncertain future without shelter and basic resources. The prioritisation of emergency support and shelter provisions for those impacted remains central to the emerging response plans as authorities and aid actors assess the full scope of needs.
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