Man Who Defrauded 9000 Internally Displaced Persons Millions of Money for Food Supply Arrested

 

Speaking with journalists at a press conference in Maiduguri, Borno State Commandant of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Ibrahim, announced the arrest of a suspect for allegedly defrauding 9,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of N27million in order to supply them with foodstuff.

 

He revealed that the suspect, a 50-year old man identified as Bukar Ladan, was arrested in Mairi area in the Jere Local Government following intelligence reports from the men of the NSCDC.

"The men of the command who were patrolling around the IDPs discovered that some of the women were grumbling that they have paid their monies but no food was supplied to them as promised," he said.

 

Ibrahim described as 'very unfortunate' a situation where some people will go as far as defrauding IDPs who have already suffered great trauma in the hands of Boko Haram.

 

The Commandant stated that Ladan confessed he collected N300 each from 9,000 IDPs refuge  in different camps in the state capital, "After going to the man's house, we discovered that he did not have anything worth N10, 000.

"We don’t know what they are using  the money for, but we are still investigating him," Ibrahim said, adding the kingpin of the scam is still at large but is being actively sought.

 

Warning the IDPs to be vigilant, he disclosed that the Command has also apprehended a man with counterfeit N1,000 notes after he had bought goods  worth N500,000 with some of the money from a shop owner in the area of Circular Road.

 

He noted that the dubious elements avoid the main markets where they may be easily noticed, preferring large complex markets where there aren’t many customers.