Echoes from unprofiled Benue IDP camp

Elizabeth Iorkyase, surrounded by her three grandchildren, sits patiently at the door of their hand-woven palm frond tents expectant of food.

Iorkyase’s plight represented those of at least 847 households of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) currently inhabiting a square space along Uniagric road in Makurdi’s North Bank suburb. Daily Trust examines their situation.

Elizabeth Iorkyase, surrounded by her three grandchildren, sits patiently at the door of their hand-woven palm frond tents expectant of food.

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Iorkyase’s daughter, as learnt, went outside the camp to scout for food for her mother and children who were seen awaiting her return so they could have their lunch.

The old woman, displaced from her rural village in Makurdi Local Government Area, said there was no where else to turn to except to remain in the camp until such a time when their homes would be safe for them to return.

This set of IDPs, our correspondent gathered, are yet to be profiled by the state government, who perhaps doesn’t know they existed until few weeks ago when journalists from some national media including Daily Trust discovered them.

The abode 

Obviously, they appeared to have recently arrived their new abode as the location is not hidden, however they are a combination of those displaced from their ancestral homes since 2018 and December, 2020.

A widow, Ukuma Jooji, displaced from Kaseyo in Guma LGA in December, was one of those who decried the situation which had befallen her household as a result of the herders-farmers crisis.

“I came here six weeks ago. Nobody is in our village again. The entire village is deserted following incessant attacks on our area during which many people were killed. My son was killed in the process by armed herders,” she told Daily Trust Saturday.

In the same vein, Ayua Ukereka had arrived the camp before the last Christmas after her village also in Guma area was attacked and became unsafe for inhabitants.

She explained that the attackers killed many people, burnt their houses and they managed to escape with their lives.

Ukereka added, “But, life here is difficult. We hardly get food to eat. Since our arrival in December, only some good spirited individuals have come to give us food.”

These IDPs spread their mats or wrappers on the ground inside their small tents to either lay down or sit in order to rest, mostly after combing the neighbourhood for water and food.

Their plight is pitiable as their many children and elders loiter around open space for no particular reason. There are no decent bathrooms and toilets, talk more of water or any other social amenities to at least make them a bit comfortable.

Most of them who spoke to our correspondent appealed to both federal and Benue State governments to provide them with better shelters.

Daily Trust reports that the IDPs who were discovered a fortnight ago in their palm frond makeshift shelter, claimed that they were relocated to the new place by the chairman of Makurdi Local Government Council.

Some of the inhabitants of the rather pitiable hundreds of tents pitched in the available space said they were displaced from different villages in Guma and Makurdi LGAs since 2018 by gunmen who destroyed their homes while a few others joined them two months ago.

Chairman of the camp, John Azenda, explained that “We were displaced in 2018 and have been staying along the 72 Battalion Barracks. In December, the Makurdi Local Government chairman came and told us to vacate the place.

“When we asked where he was taking us to, he showed us this place, saying they want to establish a market at the former place.

“I am from Uvigh council ward, in Guma Local Government Area. Since the January 1, 2018 attack, we have not gone back home. There’s nobody in my compound as I speak to you. We have been here (new place) since December 10, 2020.

“We are about 847 households. Since we came, we have not received relief material from SEMA but a SEMA staff visited us in December and went back, we have not discussed anything yet.

“During Christmas, SEMA didn’t give us anything but different groups and people came and give us a few items,” he narrated.

Shelters

Adzenda, however, added that they (847 households including over 1000 children) needed better shelters, toilets, water and other necessary sanitation as well as health needs.

Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Emmanuel Shior, told newsmen in Makurdi that the state government was working in collaboration with ActionAid and Doctors Without Borders among others to provide shelter, water and sanitation needs for the relocated displaced persons.

Fortunately, a priest of the Catholic Church, Revd. Fr. Solomon Ukeyima, a few days ago, visited the unprofiled IDPs after he got wind of their plight and presence in the area.

He expressed worry over the condition in which the IDPs, said to have come from rural environs such as Uvir, Mbadwem, Mbabai, Nyiev, Mbawa and Mbalagh, were living – in tents made from palm fronds and grasses.

Already, the IDPs who were elated to receive the priest have named the location ‘Tse-Yandev Mbagune camp’, besides the Federal Housing Authority Estate in North Bank Makurdi.

Fr. Ukeyima ‘however’ noted that the Idoma, Ibo, Tiv and other tribes which make up his congregation of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Demekpe, Makurdi, had accompanied him on the visit, and made donations of both food and non food items to the IDPs.

“I’ve been to the IDPs camp three times but I didn’t know that a camp like this existed. When I went there last week, I promised them that I will come back.

“So, when I informed my parishioners, they said as far as they are around, I must conquer and that is why today’s visit was possible,” he posited.

Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom who recovered from COVID-19 and resumed work on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, said it was same morning that his attention was drawn to the existence of the unprofiled IDPs for the first time.

“This morning, I heard about the IDPs at North Bank. I have sent my Security Adviser and SEMA to access the situation. I have already taken steps to address their plights,” Ortom concluded.