50 suspected criminals arrested, as fake lactating mothers invade Benue IDPs camp

From Attah Ede, Makurdi 

No fewer than 50 suspected  criminals have been arrested as people from host communities, market women and fake lactating mothers infiltrated the camp set up for internally displaced persons from Yelwata community at International Market, Makurdi.

Recalled the permanent secretary ministry of human and disaster management and executive secretary, State Emergency Management Agency(SEMA). James Iorpuu, had on Saturday 14th June, evacuated IDPs from Yelewata community as a result of the attack to a designated temporary camp located at International Market Makurdi.

The protesters took to the streets of Makurdi and blocked all the major entrances leading to the temporary camp located at George Akume Way Makurdi, to register their displeasures and maltreatments being experienced at the camp.

The IDPs however,accused State government officials of diverting relief materials donated to them by public spirited individuals and humanitarian organisations, a development, they said had brought untold  hardship to them

But addressing journalists on Saturday, the State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Aonduwaser Kunde stated criminals and unidentified persons have taken over the camp, including fake breastfeeding mothers.

He alleged that criminals on  Friday night invaded the camp, stole some non food items while market women too have invaded the camp buying off food items distributed to the displaced persons.

He said, “We have been issued in the camp for the past two days and we discovered a lot of infiltrators in the camp and conducted an investigation after the protest and discovered that criminals and people from the host community in Makurdi were behind the protest.

“So we resolved that we had to be at the camp by 4am today (Saturday)  to fish out those criminals and discovered that they stole mattresses they used in the area where the fence collapsed to access the camp.

“We discovered that some market women have started coming to the camp to buy off rice and food items distributed to displaced persons.

“We also discovered that some women who  were claiming  to be lactating mothers went out to borrow babies from outside to be able to access the camp when they discovered that the first set of people we attended to were pregnant women and lactating mothers.

“When these so-called lactating mothers were asked to breastfeed their babies, we discovered there was no milk coming out of their breast. They only went out to borrow children’s poses in order to collect items meant for lactating mothers.

Ebonyi police confirm abduction of Oso-Edda indigene by armed groups 

“We have arrested  50 fake displaced persons who invaded the camp, with women who go out to borrow children in the name of breastfeeding mothers to enable them access relief materials.

“The yesterday protest at the camp was fueled by  opposition within the All Progressives Congress APC in the state who do not want anything good about Alia’s government.

“Some of  these people came from nowhere to cause chaos and make people believe that the government is not giving attention to the plight of the victims”.

“We allow the IDPs to appoint their leaders who would be coordinating whatever is brought to them and distribute to them. We are in touch with the elders of their community and they have agreed that no funds should be released to them.

“So far, we have raised N7m and shall keep them pending when the elders decide what to do with it”, Kude said.