.Accuses govt of insincerity
By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
Victims of bandit attacks in Niger State have rejected palliatives from the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), accusing the state government of insincerity in protecting them against further attacks by the bandits.
This is coming on the heels of the visit to the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camps in Kagara, Rafi Local Government Area by the Director General of NSEMA, Alhaji Ibrahim Inga yesterday (Thursday).
It was however gathered that the director general who had visited one of the IDPs camps to present them with palliatives got the shocker when youths confronted him and rejected the materials he had brought with him.
The youths from the refugee camps, it was learnt, demanded improved security without which they would be forced to take laws into their hands to protect themselves against bandits who overran their villages, destroying their farms, killing their kinsmen and raping their women.
While also complaining about the poor quality of food provided therein, a source said that the IDPs wanted the state government to mandate security agencies to be stationed permanently in the camps to forestall raiding of the camps by the armed bandits.
“There is no adequate security and that is why the youths confronted the director general. Their lives and properties destroyed by the bandits and the foodstuffs donated to them by Niger state government through NSEMA are nothing to write home about”, a source said.
He said, “Many of the IDPs are not comfortable with what is happening there and that is why they want to go back to their homes because of the deplorable condition in the camps and all that they are asking is improved security in their villages to pick up bits and pieces of their lives”.
When contacted for comments, the NSEMA Director-General, Alhaji Ibrahim Inga, confirmed rejection of the state palliatives by the IDPs.
Inga however declined further comments when asked to explain details of what was presented to the IDPs, the security situation therein and how often the state government delegations do visit the number of camps.
