The Borno State Government said it had started probing some non-governmental organisations in the state for their alleged involvement in the burning of Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps.
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof Usman Tar, disclosed in a statement on Sunday.
The state in the recent past witnessed fire outbreaks in several IDP camps.
Such cases have been reported in Maiduguri, Mafa and Monguno local government areas, where it is nearly a yearly occurrence, worsening the plight of thousands of IDPs in the state.
Recently, two IDP camps Muna, Mafa LGA and Monguno camp went up in flames, displacing afresh over 30,000 IDPs.
The commissioner, in his Sunday statement, said, “This recent rise in the frequency of infernos in IDP camps has been a matter of concern, and all hands are on deck to forestall any further occurrence of fire outbreaks in the state.
“The government has been investigating the occurrence of the infernos on a case-by-case basis, with a view to establishing the remote and extant causes, and developing a strategy to stem future occurrence”.
He said, “On 29 March 2024, the Ministry of Information and Internal Security received a report in which a suspect admitted that he and his co-conspirators were hired by some NGOs to set IDP camps on fire in Borno State
“This matter is under investigation and further necessary action shall only be taken on the basis of the outcome of the investigation.
“Those arrested are in detention undergoing intensive interrogation, while the NGOs who were pinpointed in the alleged violent practice have been summoned for preliminary interrogation”.
The commissioner assured members of the public that the investigation would receive appropriate and expedited attention, vowing that anyone found culpable would be dealt with according to the law.
“Members of the public are urged to be calm, peaceful and law-abiding. Any breach of security should be reported to the nearest law enforcement agency or traditional rulers for transmission to the relevant authority”.
