By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN — A big camp housing over 900 victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East of the country was discovered in Edo State weekend.

The internally displaced persons, IDPs, camp, located on Siluko Road, in the outskirts of Benin, Vanguard learned, was founded by the International Christian Centre for Mission, ICCM, and had been providing food and shelter for the displaced persons since 2013.

The camp covers a large expanse of land and has several blocks of rooms and halls, most of which were made of wood, serving as classrooms and bedrooms for the displaced persons.

Most of the children in the camp were seen receiving lessons from the makeshift classrooms, while some of them who had chicken pox, were quarantined according to gender.

One of the IDPs, Tani Philemon, said she had been abducted by the insurgent from her home in Gwoza Local Government Area of Bornu State, but escaped miraculously after several days of fasting.

The Overseer of ICCM, Solomon Folorunsho, told journalists that the IDPs were brought to the facility from Bornu and Adamawa states, through Jos, the Plateau State capital.

He also called for assistance to cater for the needs of the victims, adding that the state government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs, had been notified of the camp.

Folorunsho said: “About three months ago, the state government became aware of this camp, because we are registered with the state and Federal governments. We have had promises that the governor was coming.

“I think he has been busy because of the elections. Maybe he has plans for the centre.”