Police arrest 4 over attempt to burn Borno IDP camp

The Borno State Police Command has paraded four individuals accused of attempting to set fire to the Mafa IDP camp in the Mafa Local Government Area.

The suspects are Malum Usman, 16; Bulama Bukar, 14; and Rawa Usman, 11; and their alleged sponsor, Babagana Umar, 40.

Recall that the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, had said some criminals were conspiring with NGOs to burn IDP camps.

The incident came to light when a hunters’ group in Mafa reported to the police that the suspects were caught with matches while trying to set a house ablaze in the IDP camp on March 24, 2024, around 10:30 am.

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ASP Kenneth Nahum Daso, the police spokesman, said preliminary investigations revealed that Babagana Umar, a firewood seller in the Muna garage area of Maiduguri, allegedly contracted the three minors to commit the arson act for a fee of N10,000.

However, Babagana Umar denied any involvement in the crime and claimed innocence, stating that he was arrested while praying in the mosque.

He expressed disbelief at the accusations against him and even offered to swear by the Holy Quran to prove his innocence, but he was not allowed to do so at the time of his arrest.

The case is currently under investigation by the police.

However, Umar, who was alleged to have sponsored the trio, denied any link with the crime.