The Chairman of Wurukum Market Association, Benue state, Yusuf Abdullahi and others, have been arrested by the State Government in connection with the diverted CACOVID Palliatives found in Kano State.
The State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Orientation, Ngunan Addingi disclosed this in Government House Makurdi while briefing journalists in company of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Col. Paul Hemba and the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Anthony Ijohor, (SAN).
The Commissioner said the briefing became necessary following the trending video on Facebook and other platforms in which CACOVID Palliatives meant for Benue were sold in Kano markets.
Addingi explained that when the palliatives were given, the state action committee on Covid-19 met and decided that some of the market people who were affected from not being able to open their stores for a long time should be among the beneficiaries.
She said “the market association was invited when the palliatives were distributed, some of the palliatives were given to them that was how it got to the market people.”
“However we heard that the chairman of Wurukum Market, Alhaji Yusuf Abdullahi had collected the items and instead of using it for themselves, decided to sell them,” she said.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Security, Col. Paul Hemba said the matter has been investigated and it was discovered that the traders actually sold their share of the palliatives.
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According to him, the traders said they needed the money rather than the items.
“The items were given to the Wurukum Market Association through their Chairman, Alhaji Yusuf Abdullahi who even hails from Kano state. Somehow, some of them sold these palliatives instead and according to them, they needed the money more rather than the palliatives.
“When the palliatives were discovered in Kano market, the police there made some arrests and Yusuf Abdullahi, was also arrested as the investigation is still going on”.
Hemba said that the palliatives are not related to the Covid-19 palliatives as being alleged in the trending videos.
Also speaking on the alleged diversion of palliatives meant for Oju local government area, the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Anthony Ijohor, (SAN), explained that a committee headed by him is carrying out investigation into the matter.
The SSG said they are still meeting and has appealed to the police to assist the committee with the investigation vowing that whoever is found culpable in the matter will face severe sanctions.
“We have made it clear that we are not going to shield anybody because the palliatives were meant for the people. So if anybody, no matter how highly placed, is involved, the person will definitely face the law”.
