Umoru Gola, Public Relations Officer, Durumi Internally Displaced Persons Camp, Abuja, has said some youth in the camp go wayward because of the influence of the criminals and drug peddlers in the area.
Gola spoke at a media roundtable/public presentation of a report on: “Managing Internal Displacement Crisis in Nigeria,” organised by the Journalists for Christ International Outreach in Abuja.
He expressed concern that “there are so many dangerous points along the Area 1, Durumi axis of Abuja, where drugs are abused and crimes are committed.
“Because of the hardship faced, some of our youth now work for these miscreants who pay them N2,000 to N3,000 to join them in perpetrating crimes within the FCT.
“Some of our boys have become drug addicts and the IDP camp now harbours criminals.”
He lamented that in spite of all efforts made by the management of the IDP camp, including writing petitions to appropriate quarters, the acts have continued unchecked.
Gola further reeled out other challenges they face.
He explained that due to lack of medical healthcare system in the camp, they resort to sale of foodstuffs donated to the camp in order to meet their medical needs.
He said because the IDPs are usually rejected for treatment at the hospitals, they sell the foodstuff donated to them to pay the hospitals bills.
According to him, most of the hospitals no longer give the IDPs free treatment so “we sell the bags of food stuff given to us to treat some of our people who are very sick at the camp”.
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Federal Capital Territory Council, Emmanuel Ogbeche, called on members to increase their reportage on activities in various IDP camps in the country as part of efforts towards tackling their plights.
Ogbeche, who said that the IDPs in the country live in a very poor situation, noted that such report would go a long way in exposing the plights of the displaced.
The FCT chair, represented by his Vice Chairman, Patrick Osadebamwen, urged journalists to always present human angle reports on their conditions to enable government take necessary actions to improve living conditions at the camps.
He said the presentation of the report was apt and timely, especially at this period of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Executive Director, Peace Development Project (Research Consultant ), Francis Abayomi, explained that the role of the media is key in the management of the IDPs in the country.
Abayomi pointed out that several IDP camps were not recognised and captured in the Federal Government’s plans “and there is the need to monitor how resources are disbursed and channelled to the IDPs”.
Earlier in a paper, titled: “Expectations and Outcomes on Making a Case for IDPs Through Advocacy,” the Programme Manager, International Press Centre, Sanmi Falobi, noted that “the IDPs are living under hunger and poverty, even as they live in makeshift situations”.
Falobi maintained that it is the responsibility of journalists to report their plights so as to enable government intervene to improve their conditions.