Herders sack 18,000 from homes in one month - Benue Govt

The Benue State government has raised concern over the unending armed herdsmen attacks in the state lamenting that over 18,000 persons have been sacked from their homes by the marauders in Otukpo and Apa Local Government Areas, LGAs of the state in the last one month. 

The government noted that the state had been grappling with the challenge of providing for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, and appealed to the Federal Government to take steps to have the IDPs return to their ancestral homes. 

The Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Dr. Emmanuel Shior who raised the concern Tuesday in Makurdi while flagging off the monthly distribution of food to IDPs in the state pointed out that the state recently witnessed one of the deadliest attacks in Umogidi, Ugbobi and Mgban communities in Otukpo, Apa and Guma LGAs respectively. 

The Executive Secretary said, "the recent attacks have created new 8,000 IDPs in Otukpo LGA who are taking refuge in Adoka while 10,000 others who were displaced in Apa LGA are taking refuge in Ugbokpo, the Local Government Headquarter. 

"Benue has continued to be under siege for a long time. The recent killings in the State have added to the burden of taking care of the IDPs. 

"We continue to appeal to Federal Government through National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, the National Commission for Refugee, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons', NCRMIP, and other partners who are already here assisting us to come to our aid as our humanitarian crisis has not lessened. 

"They should do more to increase their support. The Federal Government should do more to support the State to put in place plans to return the IDPs as they are tired of staying in camps and in the host communities for over five years. Spirited individuals should also help us." 

Items distributed to the IDPs include 3,500 bags of rice, 800 bags of beans,10,000 cartons of indomie,1,800 bags of garri, 600 bags of salt, 600 cartons of seasoning and 10,000 tubers of yams among others.