After initial teething problems, life for the
Boko Haram Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the International Christian Centre (ICC) in Uhogua, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, has come to normal, with many of the children now in school and looking well fed.

The International Christian Centre which was founded in 1992 by Pastor Solomon Folo­runsho, had a mission to aside from propagating the word of God, cater for the needy from different parts of the country. However, internally displaced persons, arising from Boko Haram insurgency began to form part of the population of the Centre from late 2012 and escalated between 2013 and 2014.

Presently, the population of the centre is between 900 and 1,000 persons, half of which are either orphans or children whose parents’ whereabouts are yet to be located. It would be recalled that early in the year, 112 children from
the centre were re-united with their parents.

David Joseph, 20, from Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, is one of the orphans and IDPs at the ICC camp. He arrived the camp January 14, 2014 from Kano after a tortuous journey that saw him escaping from Borno to Adamawa where his two best friends, Dabawa Ibrahim and Shua Yakubu were killed during attacks by Boko Haram insurgents.

Narrating his ordeal, David said while in Michika local government area of Adamawa State, one of his distant uncles in Kano sent for him. He said it was in Kano he heard that his father and grandfather were killed while his mother was killed by Boko Haram through water poisoning.

“I was in SS2 when the problem started. We were a family of seven. I don’t know where my other siblings are now”, David told Saturday Sun , revealing that his uncle’s son whose father was also killed called from the ICC camp to inform him of the man of God taking care of people, hence he came to the Centre.

Today, David is in SS3 and one of the 60 students from International Christian Centre camp writing the National Business and Technical Education Examination Board (NABTEB) organised School Certificate ex­amination.

“I like to be a Medical Doctor”, David told
Saturday Sun and called on government to provide a laboratory and relevant text books at the ICC camp for students.

As the saying goes, North, East and West, home is home and so, David is missing his homeland and place of birth. “I hope to go back to my place when the problem is over”, he said.

Rifkatu Peter, also 20, shares similar experience with David. Boko Haram insurgents disguised in Nigerian Military uniform came to her village in Gwoza Local Government Area and called everyone together, telling the villagers that they had come for them to reason together on how to curb the Boko Haram menace.

What happened next was unprovoked shooting of the people by the insurgents. “Seventy-five people were shot dead in my presence”, Rifkatu who said she was later kidnapped by the Boko Haram elements, recalled.

She said she later escaped from her abductors and from there, she sojourned into Cameroun amid constant attacks from Boko Haram who pursued them from village to village for five months before they were taken to Yola.

Rifkatu, who disclosed that she was in Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Maiduguri when the Boko Haram started, explained that it was from Yola one her uncles sent her to the ICC camp in Edo, even as she reSecondary School in Maiduguri vealed that her parents were still in Cameroun. She is presently in SS1 at the ICC camp. She also hopes to return to her place of birth after her education.

Surely, war has no mercy. That is why Patience Alli, 13 and her 11-year-old sister are in a foreign land in Uhogua, separated from their parents.
Patience told Saturday Sun that the whereabouts of her mother was unknown and that her father was in Maiduguri. She is now in primary 1 at the ICC camp in Uhogua.

Life generally, appears to have improved at the camp, with security provided by Police and Military personnel on a 24-hour basis.
The state government has provided a giant power generating plant, while harmony among the IDPs and other needy persons fill the atmosphere.
New female and male hostels were seen erected to provide decent accommodation for the IDPs, some of whom are still sleeping under tents provided by the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA).

On arrival at the camp on Tuesday afternoon, it was noticed that the IDPs were queuing for their breakfast at 12.25pm.

According to the founder of ICC, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, he had directed that because the children had messed up the environment, they had to suspend their classes and breakfast to clean up the environment before they eat and resume classes.

Pastor Folorunsho was full of gratitude to the Edo State and federal governments for the tight security provided at the camp, just as he thanked other donors for their support.

He was particularly grateful to Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his wife, Iara, for the provision of food, clothes and other items, acknowledging that the recent visit of the Edo State First Lady to the centre was “more than Christmas for the children” as she feted them with sumptuous meal.”

In spite of the improvement, the ICC is, however, facing some challenges. “We have some challenges right now. Food is always a challenge. We are running out of food. We need bigger kitchen, store house and dinning. We need ingredients and beverages.

“For the school, we need books, notebooks, writing materials. We need funds to pay the over 70 teachers in the school. The wage bill is over one million naira a month”, Pastor Folorunsho said.

Besides, he said the centre needs new workshop and skill acquisition centre, adding that 60 students were currently writing NABTEB examination.

“We have a programme for the orphans. We offer them what makes their ambition a reality. We give education and skill ac­quisition to help them re-integrate into the society”, Pastor Folorunsho told Saturday Sun .He is praying that Governor Oshiomhole should fulfil his promises, which include building a model school for the IDPs.


Source:sunnewsonline.com/new/were-missing-our-parents-displaced-kids-in-edo-idp-camp-cry-out/

this kind of news makes me doubt the existence of an all powerful God who can change all situation....or an all loving God who will not allow his children to suffer .......indeed the world would be a better place if we leave God alone or he leaves us alone period .. .. Pls I stand to be corrected ....thank you

Kkk

This is the work of the terrorist, rendering kids parentless

Sorry for them! hope they learn a lesson that terrorism is bad when they grow up.....

hmmm... all caused by boko haram...

muslims are to destroy, christians are to rebuild. i tire for nigeria