Fake IDPs, orphanage operators besiege customs office for free rice

Fake orphanage operators reportedly mixed up woth the crowd of IDPs and orphanges that went to collect bags of rice from the Migeria Customs area office in Minna on Friday.

The Customs Public Relations Offer, Joseph Attah, made this known to journalists during the exercise in Minna.

”We want to be just and transparent by the terms of reference given to us by the federal government to distribute these items to the Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs), orphanages and other vulnerable people.

”What we have experienced so far show clearly that some people here are fake, going by the document or facility they declared.

”Imagine someone who told us that he operates an orphanage, taking us to a mosque.

”When we asked questions, he told us that he helps the less privileged people,” he said.

Mr Attah, who was represented by a Deputy Superintendent, Kadiri Angulu, said that there are many impostors.

He said some of them submitted applications, adding that justice would be done to ensure that only the vulnerable get the rice and vegetable oil.

”We received 58 applications but we have verified and authenticated six out of the 30 applications attended to,” he said.

He said that the area command, which comprises of Niger, Kwara and Kogi has 12,000 bags of assorted rice and vegetable oil to give out.

”All verified and qualified persons will get a fair share of the items,” he said.

The customs image maker said that the task force would pay for the cost of transporting the items to the beneficiaries.

Earlier, a woman, who refused to disclose her name to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that she was a businesswoman who came to purchase auction rice from customs.

Also, Mama Wakili, the officer in charge of government orphanage in Minna confirmed that 150 bags of rice was allocated to the home.

”I am here to sign for the items allocated to us and inspect them before delivery,” she said.

NAN reports that the presidential taskforce visited the IDP camps in Zungeru and government orphanages in Minna where the team allocated 250 and 150 bags of rice to them respectively.

The two-day exercise, which started on April 11, would end on April 12, when the presidential taskforce would leave for Kwara command for the same exercise.

NAN observed that some private orphanages within Niger, Kaduna and Abuja were at the area command in Minna to benefit from the gesture.