On Saturday, a Twitter user wittingly wrote that water pipes in Jos, Plateau state capital, may start spitting ice blocks as a result of the biting cold in the city.
While other users laughed it off, someone dropped a comment that resonated with others in the thread; the Twitter user had asked what could the internally displaced persons (IDPs) — with no roof over their head — be going through with the same situation in Maiduguri and other parts of the north where most of them numbering over two million stay.
For more than a week, the temperature in parts of Plateau and up north has continued to drop to as low as nine degree Celsius, especially in the morning hours. While the extreme temperature in these areas is nothing new, especially with the harmattan season, most of the residents lament this is worse than the usual experience for them over the years.
Most of the residents complained that they have been confined indoors since the turn of the new year, and have had to devise means of surviving the cold.
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“I am currently putting on two sweaters,” a Jos resident who identified herself as Esther Tahite told TheCable over the phone on Sunday.
“Last night, we were all freezing at home even with the extra blankets … it is really crazy here.”
A resident of Kano said he has not bothered to go anywhere for “some days now.” The resident who identified himself as John Ozoemena said even though the cold is at freezing point in Kano metropolis, the situation is far worse in some other parts of the state.
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“This is the first time I am spending this season outside the east and even though I was told of the cold here, I can tell you I was never ready for what was coming,” he said, adding: “Imagine where you have to boil the water before using them in most cases.”
EXTRA HEADACHE FOR THE HOMELESS, OLD
Some Nigerians also took to Twitter to lament what the situation could be for the homeless and IDPs, in addition to calls for alms especially clothes for them to help survive the cold.
In this extreme cold weather, let us thank the Almighty Allah and also remember our brothers and sisters who are homeless, IDPs, Almajirai and the less privileged in our community.Please, let us donate sweaters, jackets,blankets, socks, cover shoes etc.@UsmanSolo @AbdulhamidAAkh1 pic.twitter.com/nchBcXHYDG
Advertisement— huzaifa Usman 🇬unda (@Gunda__Jr) January 4, 2020
Imagine the state of IDPs in this kind of cold 🤧🤧🤧
Imagine under the bridge inhabitants in this kind of cold
AdvertisementYet, here you are talking about being single, weather for two and the rest.
Just think for a sec and you will see that there are more important things at stake
Advertisement— Abdurrahman (@Abdool_008) January 3, 2020
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My prayers goes out to the almajiris in the north who are homeless in these cold conditions. If those who have roofs over their heads and cloths to cover themselves are complaining about the harmattan, i wonder how these children are coping, sleeping outside.
— (Sn❄w Of the BUJ) (@snowice91) January 4, 2020
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This cold is really something else. Just can't imagine what thousands of #IDPs are going through in the #NorthEast
— Joshua Mamman Alli (@Joshmamman) January 4, 2020
While we cover in blankets in our homes, sip our hot tea, let's remember d vulnerables Almajiris IDPs in d cold without cover pic.twitter.com/5xyt8n6jvL
— Y. A. L. S (@YALSNG) January 4, 2020
There is even an emergency “warm clothing drive” for the IDPs in Maiduguri, Borno state capital.
https://twitter.com/DaughterOf_adam/status/1213096794076397568?s=20
Meanwhile, the cold weather has pushed up prices of second hand sweaters and jackets. The materials now sell for N2000 and N2500, as against the former prices of N500 and N600, respectively.
A dealer in second-hand sweaters, Musa Adamu, blamed the price increase on the high demand for the wears because of the cold.
He said the sudden change in the weather condition also forced a lot of the residents to wear warm clothes in order to protect themselves from the chilly weather.
NAN said the chilly weather has forced many families to resort to using charcoal and firewood to warm their bodies as the weather became colder.
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