The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two persons with 4,000 sachets of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RTUF) meant for malnourished children in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
The NSCDC Corps Commandant in Borno, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, stated the two were arrested at Borno Express Motor Park.
He said “the two suspects will be prosecuted.”
However, one of the suspects, Hassan Sale, claimed they normally bought the RUTF from nursing mothers in the IDPs camps.
He said “I bought this one from Zannari IDPs camp. We usually buy the product at the rate of N30 and sell to customers at N60 in Kano."
“This is the second time I came into Maiduguri; the first was two weeks ago.”
As stated by the NSCDC commandant, some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) donated the RUTF to boost the immune system of severely malnourished children below five years in IDPs camps in Borno.
He stated some merchants buy off the relief materials donated to the IDPs by international donor agencies.
He added that “it is very disheartening how people always think they can take advantage of victims of violence because of the condition they found themselves in.
“It is also worrisome that some IDPs have turned themselves into merchants of sorts”, he stated.
He recalled a similar incident last year when the NSCDC arrested some people who defrauded 9,000 IDPs of nearly N29 million on the pretext that they would provide rice for them and other relief materials.
“The IDPs themselves are not helping matters as they don’t pity themselves and their living conditions."
“Many a time, our officers tell us that whenever foodstuff are distributed in the camps, the IDPs throng the markets to sell it”, he also stated.
Abdullahi stated the command had taken measures to checkmate the activities of such merchants and urged Borno residents to furnish the relevant security agents at all times with information about such activities for necessary action.