The Federal Government is to commence the massive airdrop of relief materials to dangerous and inaccessible areas of Borno State, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, has said.

The minister, who was in Maiduguri at the weekend to deliver relief materials to the state, told the Borno State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Kadafur, who represented the Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, that, “Your Excellency, we have noted and are aware that due to the recent restriction of movement to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic and inaccessibility of communities, due to floods and insecurity; vulnerable persons, especially the IDPs, may require further support in terms of basic necessities, including food from the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“To ensure that we are able to provide adequate support, I wish to request that the state government provide the necessary information required to enable collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force to drop food and non-food items in locations that have been made inaccessible due to insecurity or the recent floods.”

The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was donating to the vulnerable people in Borno State 26,067 bags of 12.5kg parboiled rice; 26,067 bags of 25kg beans; 26,067 bags of 12.5kg maize/millet; 1,304 bags of 20kg iodized salt; 2,607 kegs of vegetable oil; 4,345  cartons of seasoning cubes; 2,173 cartons of tin tomato.

She noted the food items were meant for 26,067 households with a total population of 156,402.

The minister had earlier visited Bauchi where she took food items to cater for 70,867 households as palliative for COVID-19.

Responding, Kadafur said the state was indebted to the Federal Government for the donated items.

He promised that the items delivered would be taken to the intended people.