The Executive Secretary, State Emergency Agency ( SEMA) Dr Emmanuel Shior says no fewer than 80 babies were delivered by the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue State in seven months.
Shior made this known on Friday in Makurdi at the monthly distribution of relief materials to the IDPs,organised by SEMA.
He said that the deliveries were registered by the agency, explaining that most of the IDPs co-habited with their partners, a development he noted resulted in the high number of births recorded in the camps.
The SEMA secretary, who stressed that the agency was very strict on illicit sexual affairs in the camps, however, expressed concern that the agency found it very difficult to control the rate of births in the camps.
He said that some of the IDPs have their families in the camp but said that what the agency prohibits was those who are not married sleeping together.
“The aspect we try to control is unmarried people sleeping with each other; other unlawful sexual acts are also forbidden in the camps,”
Shior disclosed that the agency would distribute 3,000 bags of rice, 2,000 bags of maize and guinea corn, 1,000 cartons of noodles, bags of garri and beans to all IDPs in Makurdi, Guma, Logo, Agatu, Gwer West, Kwande and Okpokwu camps, among others.
He expressed the Agency’s commitment towards ensuring the wellbeing of IDPs in the camps.
