Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian Senate has issued a strong plea to the Federal Government to take immediate action in resettling over 1.5 million residents of Benue State who have been displaced by bandit attacks. The legislative body also urged the government to fulfill its promise of providing N10 billion for the reconstruction of the ravaged communities.
This resolution by the Senate followed the adoption of a motion presented during a plenary session. The motion emphasized the urgency of returning displaced individuals from Gwer-West, Makurdi, and Guma local government areas to their original homes to prevent an impending humanitarian crisis in the state.
Senator Zam Tartenger, an APC representative from Benue, sponsored the motion. In his opening statement, he highlighted that farmers in the aforementioned areas have been forced out of their homes by bandits posing as herders for the past seven years.
Tartenger revealed that the displaced people have sought refuge in camps under distressing and harsh conditions at various locations, including Naka, Agagbe, Ahagena North Bank, Daud, Umanger, and Ghajingba in Gwer-West, Makurdi, and Guma local government areas.
He expressed concerns over the potential humanitarian crisis, the risk of disease outbreaks, and other health challenges faced by the displaced population. According to statistics from the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, as of September 2022, the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue State had reached 1,597,000 individuals.
Tartenger noted that the financial resources required to support this large population exceeded the capacity of the state government. He also highlighted that between January and October 2022, 560 children living in the IDP camps in Gwer-West, Makurdi, Guma, and other parts of Benue were reported to be suffering from malnutrition.
Additionally, Senator Tartenger raised the issue of an unfulfilled promise made by former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo during a visit to Benue in 2015. Osinbanjo had pledged N10 billion for the resettlement of the displaced people, a promise that has yet to be realized.
The Senate’s resolution includes directives for the Chief of Defence Staff to promptly oversee the safe return of all displaced persons to their original homes and establish a sustainable security corridor in high-risk areas within the affected communities. Furthermore, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has been tasked with providing essential relief materials, including medical and food supplies, to assist the displaced individuals.