The Bauchi state police have arrested eight suspected robbers in
connection with illegal diversion of hundreds of bags of grains meant
for IDPs in the state.
An eyewitness, Malam Bala kurba, told reporters that the suspects
were arrested when re-packaging the millet in a shop at Tirwun along
Maiduguri road.
When the scene was visited, it discovered the millet was
package by Maviga West Africa limited with an inscription ”not for
sale.”
It was gathered that police arrested the suspects including son of
the shop owner while transferring the millet to normal market bags to
sell in open the market.
It could be recalled that a similar case was reported last year when
it was alleged that the same IDPs foodstuff were diverted for sale.
The Chairman Bauchi State IDPs, Alhaji Buba Musa
Shehu confirmed that the arrest was made possible after a tip-off.
According to Shehu, he confronted the arrested suspects at the shop
and invited the police, after which they were pursued to Gombe road.
He regret that the issue of foodstuffs diversion meant for IDPs is a recurrent decimal in the troubled North East zone.
Repeated calls to the Bauchi State Police Spokesman, Kamal Abubakar Datti, went unanswered.