On Thursday, the police in Borno State paraded Babagana Umar, a 40-year-old firewood vendor from Maiduguri, who was accused of offering three youngsters N10,000 in exchange for demolishing the Mafa Internally Displaced Persons camp located in the Mafa Local Government Area of the state.
The children named as Rawa Usman, 11, Bulama Bukar, 14, and 16-year-old Malum Usman also paraded.
On March 24, the police claimed to have them under arrest.
The announcement on Thursday was made in response to allegations made by the state administration a few days prior that certain non-governmental organizations were funding the burning of IDP camps in Borno State.
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, speaking on March 31, said, “This matter is under investigation and further necessary action shall be taken on the basis of the outcome of the investigation.”
“On the 24th of March 2024 at about 10:30am, hunters group of Mafa reported to the Mafa division of the police with three suspects, Malum Usman (16 years), Bulama Bukar (14 years), and Rawa Usman (11 years), all of Mafa IDP camp.
“The suspects were arrested with matches while trying to set a house ablaze in the camp,” said state police command spokesman Nahum Daso, parading the four suspects attempting before newsmen in Maiduguri on Thursday.
“Preliminary investigation further revealed that the trio were sponsored by one Babagana Umar, a firewood seller in the Muna Garage area of Maiduguri, who contracted them to commit the act at the rate of N10,000. The case is under investigation.”
In an interview with reporters, the forty-year-old Umar refuted the accusation.
“I was arrested while saying my prayers in the mosque,” the Muna Garage firewood seller, who has three wives and 15 children, told The reporters.
“This is a mischief against me by persons I am yet to even imagine. When I was arrested, because I knew I had never imagined attempting to set the Mafa IDP camp ablaze, I proposed to swear by the Holy Quran to prove my innocence, but I was not allowed.”
He refuted reports that he was paid by an NGO to carryout the arson.
“No NGO gave me any money to sponsor the burning of any camp and I did not give the children N10,000 to burn the Mafa camp.”
