An Alarm Over The Sordid Internally Displaced Persons Camp In Benin City

Arising from an emergency meeting on the above subject matter on Monday 13th July 2015, over the security intelligence information gathered by our group's network, it has become incumbent on us as stakeholders and host community organization to the IDP camp in Egor Local Government Area, to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to take immediate steps to relocate the camp as we are aware that the Camp might metamorphose into a recruitment and safe havens for sympathizers of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group.

Much as we sympathize with the plight of the victims of terrorist activities in the North East for their humanitarian predicament, we cannot fold our arms while our places of abode and businesses like Egor and Ovia communities gradually descends into the whims and caprices of the terrorist network. History is replete with the metamorphoses of such camps into breeding beds for unwholesome activities.

The Federal Government must take responsibilities for the welfare and security of the Internally Displaced Persons currently hibernating in Benin City, by making immediate medical and social needs available for them; and at the same time, a medium term program for their relocation from Benin City to safer and more secured centers.

We are aware that the camp is privately run by some yet to be known persons; and the tendencies to exploit such a "congregation of depressed and dehumanized people" for criminal and treacherous objectives cannot be ruled out; prompting us to raise this landmark alarm; as Governments at all levels would be legally and morally held responsible should the camp deteriorate into a life-threatening movement. It beats our imagination that hundreds of persons will be camped in a metropolis for as long as two months before Government agencies will know and acknowledged their disguised existence.

We call on the newly appointed service chiefs to take heed of our alarm by taking immediate and unconditional steps to place the camp and the brains behind the sordid-arrangement under closed-circuit surveillance; as our people will naturally take to self help should the camp become a security threat to humans and businesses.

Dr. David Ekomwerenren
Director of Publicity and Intelligence.