by S’ola Filani

A large number of villagers including children, from the Gwoza Local Government Area in Borno, hiding from Boko Haram in mountains and caves, are  dying as a result of hunger and malnutrition.

The villagers had fled to the cave and mountain hideouts as a result of incessant Boko Haram attacks on their communities.

Boko Haram insurgents are said to be surrounding these hideouts and have shot villagers who were attempting to leave the mountains to look for food and bury their loved ones.

As a result, the stranded villagers have had to survive on wild fruits and roots along with little food supply from a nearby village called “Pogu.”

However, right now, Punch reports that there is no food left in that village – many are starving to death.

The Senator representing Borno South, Mohammed Ali Ndume, confirmed the report.

“Most men have had to flee into the caves with the women preparing food to take to them but since the area has run out of food there is hunger both on the land and in the caves.

“It is painful that we have food in Maiduguri that we have planned to take to them, but since the place is a no go area, our people are dying of hunger and starvation.

“The news reaching us is that some infants have been lost to malnutrition and hunger as their parents could not feed them properly,” he said.