The Niger Government said it had spent over N5 billion in the maintenance of the State’s 151,380 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) currently taking refuge in about 50,584 camps, and on logistics to security agencies to combat security challenges in some parts of the state.
The State Government is currently running the affairs of the IDPs camps in the 13 local government areas of Shiroro, Rafi,Bosso,Munya,Paikoro,Mariga,Kontagora,Mashegu,Wushishi,Rijau, Burgu ,Lapai and Lavun.
The Secretary to the State Government(SSG),Alhaji Ahmed Matane, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Minna on Monday,said the gesture took place in the last two years.
Matane said N3 billion was spent on the maintenance of the IDPs,while over N2 billion was spent on logistics to combat the security challenges confronting the state, in the last two years.
” We have 14,994 women ,4,992 men, 30,584 childrens,4,466 pregnant women,5,811 lactating mothers,1,370 number of those with health challenges and 722 aged persons across the existing camps,”he said.
He said that Rafi Local Government Area had a total of 28,987 IDPs living in 13,989 camps.
He said 4,124 among them were women,1,089 were men,8,774, children,1,206 pregnant women ,1615 lactating mother’s ,391 suffering from various sickness and 238 aged persons.
We have 27,678 of the IDPs in Shiroro Local Government Area, among whom 13,790 are women,3,570 men,9,245 children ,1,156 pregnant women ,944 lactating mother’s,476 suffering from diseases and 162 aged person’s.
” We also have many people from the area that are living in rented apartments as IDPs that were spread across the state and beyond,’’ the SSG added.
He said the over N2 billion was spent to support security agencies in the ongoing fight against banditry , kidnapping and cattle rustling in the state, in the last two years.
Matane said that the money was spent on the purchase of Hilux patrol vans,patrol motorcycles and payment of allowances to security personnel deployed to combat the security challenges in parts of the state.
He said that the state government would continue to give the security agencies the support they required to enable them to perform optimally.
He said that already the state government alongside the security agencies had mapped out a comprehensive security network that would see to the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in crimes and criminalities in the state.
” We have spent over N2 billion to support the security agencies in the ongoing fight against banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the last two years.
” We will continue to accord priority attention to the welfare of security personnel deployed to enable them to wipe out all those involved in the illegal acts for peace,progress and political stability.
” We are appealing to residents of the state to volunteer reliable information on movement of bad characters to the nearest security outfits for necessary action.
” We have also reached out to traditional and religious leaders and other stakeholders and urged them to mobilise residents to support the efforts of the government in the ongoing fight against criminal elements,” the SSG said.
He assured that the state government in partnership with the security agencies,would continue to intensify efforts to end all the security challenges confronting the state.( NAN)
