Internally Displaced People in Cross River State community of Ikot Eyo Edem have claimed that locals have invaded their camp.
They said that they are unable to receive any financial aid or palliatives from national or international donor organizations, putting them in need.
The head of the IDP camp in Bakassi, Chief Etim Okon Ene, signed a Save our Soul letter to the Federal Government in which he bemoaned the appalling conditions there and warned that if they weren’t rectified, an epidemic might break out.
Ene further claimed that after security forces recently invaded the camp in search of potential militants and kidnappers, their situation worsened.
He said that the operatives said the accused had converted their camp into a haven for illegal activity.
He charged that the host community had unfairly exploited the EndSARS demonstration to remove their possessions.
Ene asserted that because of their host community’s steadfast attitude toward the palliatives-sharing formula, they were forced to come up with ways to make their stay unpleasant.
“As a people whose only means of livelihood is farming as we no longer have access to the sea for fishing, we are very mindful of our activities in order not to incur the wrath of the host community.
“But our experience has shown that the host community is not comfortable with the attention our plight has attracted from donor agencies,” he said.
They appealed to the Federal Government to come to their aid by donating farming implements to enable them to be self-reliant.
The IDPs also want the government to help beef up security in the camp, including the provision of solar-powered street lights, security posts and surveillance.