August 9, 2015 – The Presidency may have ordered forceful evacuation of 900 children of internally displaced persons(IDP) from Benin City, Edo State.
They are children, some orphans of parents displaced by activities of members of the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram in the North-east.
On Saturday, over 75 armed oficers including members of the State Security Service(SSS), police and Civil Defence stormed the Christian Home for the Needy with instructions from the Presidency to forcefully evacuate over 900 IDPs from Benin to Jigawa and Kano State.
“On Saturday, the SSS, Police, Civil Defense numbering more than 75 armed came with 38 busessaying its order from Presidency to evacuate them to a place in Jigawa and Kano states”, Pastor Solomon A. Folorunsho of the Christian Home for the Needy said in a statement.
“We also have an NGO called Christian Home for the Needy caring for Orphans, vulnerable children from broken homes, street children etc, providing them with shelter, education, skill etc since 1992. we have trained graduates etc”, he said.
According to him, the NGO started helping people since 2013.
“We started helping the children from the North and till date we have more than 900 of them here mostly from Christian families, attending school etc.
“Our plan for them is to relocate gradually and reunite those who still have families and relations with their families as the situation calms down except the orphans who may take more time”, he said..
He related that he called out all the children as instructed when the military men stormed the camp and announced it to them but that the children refused and started weeping.
“Even about 12 collapsed and fainted. As at now they left without the children with the instruction I should take some days to prepare the children for evacuation”, he said.
