NGOs paid us to burn down IDP camps in Borno – Suspect

A suspect has confessed that two Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) providing humanitarian services in Borno State paid him and his partners to burn down Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the Monguno area of the state.

Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, in a statement on X, said the suspect who appeared in a viral video was arrested by Civilian JTF.

The suspect added that he was among the four people who were contracted by the unnamed NGOs to carry out several arsons in different camps with each of them to be paid N10,000 once they had successfully carried out the job.

Zagazola said that he independently tried to verify the allegations made by the suspect against the NGOs but the Borno State Police Command stated that it had not confirmed the involvement of any NGOs in the allegation.

He said the Borno Police Commissioner, Yusuf Lawal, confirmed the arrest of four suspects who are currently at the Command’s crime investigative units but it was yet to be authenticated if NGOs were involved.

Lawal said that there were two incidents with one of them taking place in Monguno where a suspect was recorded in a video claiming that he was contracted by two NGOs to carry out arson and another one in Mafa where three people were arrested in connection with the same crime.

“We are yet to establish if the two incidents were related but those we arrested have already confessed that they were contracted by a fire wood seller in the Muna general area to set fire in places,” said the Police Commissioner.

“We have arrested him and are currently undergoing investigation at the Crime Investigation Department.”

Lawal further issued a warning to people against spreading unsubstantiated rumors, noting that the police will investigate the matter and make its outcome known to the general public.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, said the Borno Government has received reports from reliable sources regarding suspected cases of fire outbreaks in some IDP camps within the State.

Tar said the recent increase in frequency of infernos in IDP camps has been a matter of concern while he added that all hands are on deck to forestall any further occurrence of fire outbreaks in the State.

He stated that the Government has been investigating the occurrence of the infernos on a case-by-case basis, with a view to establishing the remote and extant causes, and developing a strategy to stem future occurrence.

“On 29 March 2024, the Ministry of Information and Internal Security received a report in which a suspect admitted that he and his “co-conspirators” were “hired” by some NGOs (names withheld) to set IDP camps on fire,” said Tar.

“This matter is under investigation and further necessary action shall only be taken on the basis of the outcome of the investigation.

“Those arrested are in detention undergoing intensive interrogation, while the NGOs who were pinpointed in the alleged violent practice have been summoned for preliminary interrogation.”

Tar said that the Government has assured members of the public of appropriate attention on the matter and threatened legal action against culprits.