The Taraba State Emergency Management Agency, TSEMA, has distanced itself from a reported operation by the Department of State Services, DSS, at a warehouse in Jalingo, denying any involvement with the facility or the relief materials reportedly discovered there.
In a statement issued on Monday, the agency said it neither stored nor authorized the storage of relief materials at the warehouse where the DSS operation allegedly took place.
TSEMA maintained that it played no role in the events surrounding the operation and urged members of the public and the media to direct all inquiries regarding the warehouse, the operation, and the materials involved to the Department of State Services, which it described as the appropriate authority handling the matter.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to discharging its statutory responsibilities, stressing that it remains focused on emergency management, disaster response, and humanitarian interventions across Taraba state.
The statement, signed by the management of TSEMA, said it was issued to clarify the agency’s position and dispel speculation linking it to the warehouse and the relief materials reportedly discovered during the DSS operation.
The clarification follows reports alleging that DSS operatives raided a private warehouse in Sintali Ward, Jalingo Local Government Area, where relief materials worth millions of naira were found during a late-night operation.
According to the reports, the items, including large quantities of food supplies, were allegedly donated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to TSEMA for distribution to disaster victims.
The reports also claimed that four persons, including the owner of the warehouse and three rice traders from Jalingo Main Market, were arrested in connection with the discovery.
The DSS, as at the time of filing this report, has yet to issue an official statement detailing the outcome of the operation or confirming the allegations.
