From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Last month, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) delegation led by the Assistant High Commissioner for Operations accompanied by the German Ambassador to Nigeria visited Benue State.

They were received at Government House Makurdi by the state governor Hyacinth Alia and other top state government officials.

The governor upon receiving the delegation, was to proceed with them to the IDP camp at Ichuwa in North Bank area of Makurdi where he would conduct the team round the facility and for the team to get firsthand information about challenges confronting the IDPs in the state.

While waiting for the arrival of the visitors, Alia directed the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), James Iorpuu to immediately deployed two trucks of assorted relief materials to the Ichuwa camp for distribution to internally displaced persons IDPs.

The UNHCR delegation had earlier selected Ichuwa IDPs camp to be visited upon their arrival in the state.

For the  purpose of the visit, the governor decided that this arrangement be put in place whereby  IDPs would be given sufficient food items to avoid any embarrassment from them.

The Executive Secretary of SEMA immediately carried out the directive and the materials were dispatched to the area for distribution.

However, the materials could not get to the camp. The governor put a call across to the Executive Secretary, informing him that the foodstuffs destined to Ichuwa IDPs camp had been diverted.

Speaking with our correspondent in Makurdi, the Executive Secretary said that he was shocked and perplexed on how the governor got the information about the diversion.

He explained that they were expecting UN delegation alongside ambassador of Germany for a state visit and the governor set up a committee to coordinate the visit.

According to him, during the committee meeting, it was resolved that since the  team was visiting Ichwa IDP camp, some food items would be sent to the camp even though they were yet to commence the monthly food distribution across camps.

He explained, “We dispatched two trucks of assorted food items comprising of 250 bags of rice, 60 bags of beans, 100 bags of garri, 200 cartons of indomie noodles, 15 gallons of 20 litres red and vegetable oil, sugar among other food items to the camp for  distribution to Ichwa IDPs.

 “I was in a meeting preparatory to the arrival of the delegation when the governor called and drew my attention that part of the food items meant for the IDPs was diverted to one house in North Bank.

 “I immediately ran to the camp and saw few items displayed for onward sharing and I asked the Camp Manager where the remaining food items were kept and he said that was the only items he received.

“I asked him to bring the waybill he signed to collect the food items and to my surprise, what went out of the warehouse was exactly what he signed and collected.

“On our way back to my office for further investigation, I saw one of my staff in front of one house by the roadside and I asked my driver to turn back. On reaching there, we discovered the missing items off-loaded there.”

Iorpuu listed the diverted food items to includes: 55 bags of rice, 24 bags of garri, Indomie noodles, beans among others, adding that the only thing they did not touch was sugar.

While thanking the governor for his proactive action, Iorapuu wondered how his staff always defended would steal the food meant for the IDPs.

He said already, three staff of the agency (BSEMA) have been arrested by the police in connection with the incident.

Iorpuu who said police investigation is still ongoing, however appealed that names of the affected officers be withheld pending when the investigation is concluded.

Checks by our correspondent indicated that the affected officers have been released on bail.

Efforts to get reaction from the Benue State police command failed as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Catherine Anene did not respond to calls put across to her on phone.

Some of the IDPs in the state said the recent diversion of the relief materials meant for them by some staff of SEMA has further buttressed their cries.

An IDP (name withheld) said most of the items donated to Benue State government for onward distribution to IDPs are usually are cornered.

“Just look at this. You were directed to bring food to people who are living like half human beings, yet you have the guts to corner it. 

“This is one among many, but we thank God that it was the governor who saw this otherwise, nobody would believe it.

“The IOM and other foreign humanitarian organisations came to the state and donated consumables and non consumables to us.

“They came and made symbolic presentation of those items in Ichwa IDPs. Up till now, we don’t know what had happened to those items.

“Nothing was given to us again and we believe they have been diverted by these same persons shouldered with the responsibility of distributing these items to us.”

Another inmate from Daudu IDPs admitted that government officials have been diverting food and this has brought acute hunger to them and their children in the camp.

He suggested that security and monitoring team be setup across the camps to avert such incidents.

“Apart from the government officers, some NGOs are equally doing same thing. You see, since we were displaced and brought to this camp, many opened NGOs in the name of coming to help us get out of this situation but they ended up enriching themselves.

“Government officials connived with the private people to steal items. We are not praying we remain here in the camps forever but people need to understand our predicament and stop taking away what humanitarian agents gives us,” the Daudu IDP expressed.”I want to sincerely thank the governor for his proactive approach to our plight and pray that God will see him through in his quest to move us back to our ancestral homes,” he prayed.