How hoarded relief materials was uncovered in Abuja IDP camp

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has airlifted the relief materials donated by the First Lady, Sen. Remi Tinubu, to victims of the Borno flood disaster — Relief materials, for internally displaced persons, IDP

The Federal Government has vowed to investigate the alleged hoarding of relief materials meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) after stockpiles of supplies were discovered at the Durumi IDP camp in Abuja.

The Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, Aliyu Ahmed, made the discovery during an inspection visit while inaugurating a computer centre donated by the Brightlife Vision Foundation. Food and non-food items were found stored in classrooms rather than being distributed to displaced persons.

“On our arrival, we saw things that should not be happening in this camp. Some classrooms were being used to store both food and non-food items that should have been distributed to IDPs. We will not tolerate this, and we will deal with the situation severely,” Ahmed stated.

He described the situation as alarming and announced plans to expand the probe to other IDP camps across the country.

“If this is happening here, it could be happening elsewhere. We will investigate all IDP camps to ensure that relief materials reach those who need them the most,” he added.

The commissioner reiterated the government’s commitment to the welfare of IDPs, assuring them that their basic needs and education remain a priority. He pledged collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission to provide teachers for displaced children.

In her remarks, Hajia Binta Sidi, founder of Brightlife Vision Foundation, revealed plans to train 1,000 IDPs across Nigeria. She commended the commission for installing solar power at the ICT training centre and pledged that her foundation would provide teachers for the training programme.

The discovery has raised concerns about the management of relief efforts in IDP camps, with calls for stricter measures and effective accountability processes to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Federal Government has assured that those found responsible for hoarding the supplies will face consequences.