Protest Rocks Benue As IDPs Allege Diversion Of Relief Materials By State Gov’t
Tensions flared in Benue State on Thursday as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the Yelwata crisis staged a protest in Makurdi, accusing the state government and camp officials of hoarding and diverting relief materials meant for their welfare.
The demonstrators, many of them women and children, blocked a major road near the Makurdi International Market, halting traffic for several hours as they chanted and displayed placards bearing messages such as “We are starving,” “Our children are dying,” and “Stop stealing IDP aid.”
The protest, which drew the attention of security personnel and humanitarian observers, was sparked by what the IDPs described as “inhumane conditions” at their camp and the disappearance of vital supplies, including food items, mattresses, and medicines.
“We are suffering. There’s no food, our children are starving, we sleep on the floor, and mosquitoes are almost killing us,” said one of the protesters, Mrs.
Theresa Upev, who has been living at the camp for over a year. “Two people died recently in the camp due to hunger and sickness. The government has forgotten us.”
The demonstrators claimed that donations made by religious and humanitarian bodies, including items reportedly sent by Dr. Paul Enenche, Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, never reached them.
“We heard that Pastor Paul Enenche sent food and mattresses, but we never saw any of it. They tell us help is coming, but nothing comes to us,” said Mr. Godwin Aondo, a displaced farmer from Yelwata.
“The officials in charge of the camp are hoarding everything. Where is the food? Where is the aid?”
The protest comes amid growing concerns about the welfare of displaced persons in Benue State, many of whom have been living in camps for years following repeated attacks on rural communities by armed herders.
The IDPs are demanding a full investigation into the management of the camp and the distribution of relief materials.
They also called on the Benue State Government and humanitarian agencies to urgently intervene and improve their living conditions.
“We are human beings. We didn’t choose this life. We were driven out of our homes. All we ask is to be treated with dignity and fairness,” said Rebecca Terkimbi, a mother of five.
“Let Governor Alia come and see where we live. Let him see the hunger and sickness.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Government had not issued an official response to the protest or the allegations.
Meanwhile, the IDPs vowed to continue their protests if their demands are not met.
“This is just the beginning,” one protester warned. “If they won’t give us our rights, we will keep coming out until the world hears us.”
Protest Rocks Benue As IDPs Allege Diversion Of Relief Materials By State Gov’t is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
