Abuja, Nigeria - The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has clamped down on members of Welfare Rescue Mission International organization for allegedly using cancerous patients from different parts of the country for corporate begging within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
AEPB Director, Abubakar Yabo, said yesterday that the organisation's Coordinator, Evangelist Edozie Amechi allegedly lures unsuspecting victims from the east and south-south part of the country with a promise that they would be provided social development assistance and all necessary welfares.
"These men go to the villages to recruit these people to Abuja, lying to them that they are going to help them sort out their problems and get operated but at the end of the day they distribute them along major junctions in Dutsen- Alhaji, AYA and Kubwa to whip up public sentiments," he said.
The director stated further that the public gives the victims money and at the end of the day the victims get only N200 or N500 for their efforts and the aim is entirely defeated," he said.
A victim, Promise Idom Akpan from Akwa Ibom State said the pastor came to her village and convinced her to come to Abuja with him that he has helped a lot of people get operated successfully.
"When I got to Abuja we were shared out to go and beg and at the end of the day the pastor will give us N500 each," she said.
FCT Social Development Secretary, Mrs Blessing Onu, said AEPB had to pick them up because they were becoming a nuisance to the society.
She said the social development secretariat will liaise with the victims' liaison offices as well as reach out to corporate organizations to make sure they take the sick victims to the hospital.