IDPs Protest Hunger, Alleged Diversion of Relief Materials in Benue

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State staged a protest in Makurdi on Thursday, accusing government officials of hoarding relief materials and subjecting them to inhumane conditions.

The protest took place at the International Market in Makurdi, where the IDPs were being temporarily housed following a deadly attack on their community last weekend. Over 100 people were reportedly killed in the violence, prompting the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to relocate survivors to the state capital for safety.

Barely four days after their arrival, the displaced persons blocked major entrances to the market to draw attention to what they described as severe hunger, lack of medical care, and poor living conditions at the camp.

One of the protesters, Fidelis Igban, told reporters that three people had died due to starvation and worsening health conditions, although this claim could not be independently verified.

“People bring donations here, but once they are handed over to the officials, we don’t see them again,” Igban said, citing recent contributions from Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and Pastor Paul Enenche of Dunamis International Gospel Centre.

Another IDP, Erdoo Targa, who is six months pregnant, also voiced her frustration: “There’s no food, no medical care. Our children are falling sick. The government brought us here and abandoned us.”

Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Aondoaseer Kunde, and SEMA’s Executive Secretary, Dr James Iorpuu, were unsuccessful.

However, SEMA’s Information Officer, Tema Ager, said the situation was under control and that food had been supplied. Ager refuted the reported deaths, saying investigations showed that the individuals died before arriving at the camp.

He also dismissed the claim of a miscarriage, stating that a woman who began bleeding had already undergone an abortion before entering the camp and had since been taken to a hospital.

Ager suggested that some of those protesting were not officially registered as IDPs and may be residents from the surrounding area posing as displaced persons. He added that not all IDPs had been captured biometrically, which delayed their access to shelter.