The Chairman of Yusufari LGA of Yobe State, Baba Aji, has said that desertification has forced several communities in the area to flee their ancestral lands.

Mr Aji, who disclosed this to journalists in Damaturu, the state capital, said some of the affected communities faced extinction.

He said that sand dunes had taken over lands and houses in the communities, rendering the areas inhabitable for both humans and animals, and that the affected people were now taking shelter in neighbouring communities.

He said the dunes were advancing closer to houses in Tulo-Tulo and Bula-Tura, two towns bordering the Niger Republic.

He expressed concern that the dunes would soon encroach on an oasis, a critical water source in the area, if urgent measures were not put in place to halt the menace.