Terhemen Abua, Makurdi
The continued accommodation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in various camps in Benue State is a thing of concern, especially as it bears directly on their welfare.
It is a known fact that nobody can be satisfied with everything, including the IDPs given their present predicament. However, even a cursory look at the situation on ground indicates that the displaced persons are suffering beyond words from lack of basic amenities.
When The Nigerian Xpress visited the Abagena camp at Agan, in Makurdi Local Government Area of the state, the story was one of sorrow, agony, hunger, lack of water supply and proper sanitation.
The Benue State Government, spirited individuals and corporate organisations have been providing basic needs, especially food to the IDPs. Yet, The Nigerian Xpress reliably gathered that some of the IDPs have formed the habit of selling the food allotted to them to the villagers at Agan town in exchange for money.
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According to an IDP, who is involved in this act: “We are only given food without the necessary condiments to cook them. We use the money we make from the sale of the foodstuff given to us to take care of other needs which the government has not provided for us.”
Another source of worry at the camp is the lack of a sickbay to cater for the healthcare needs of IDPs. Some local and world health bodies are now providing for their healthcare needs. The Red Cross has been assisting greatly in this regard. Also, the Nigerian Air Force has been of immense help to the healthcare needs of the IDPs. It has erected makeshift sickbay at intervals where clinical services are administered and drugs dispensed.
Similarly, the United Nations Children’s Education Fund, UNICEF, deserves commendation for providing over 30-water system toilets; so also is Medecins sans frontieres, (MSF) International, also known as Doctors Without Borders, for providing a sickbay manned by qualified staff.
Another ugly occurrence at the Abagena IDP camp is the issue of prostitution. Some female folk in the camp have reportedly joined the bandwagon of call girls at the Heavy Duty Motor Park in North Bank and the Yaman Motor Park at the Wurukum roundabout for the usual night hangout or runs, as it is now being called.
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On whether they would want to return to their ancestral homes or remain in the camp, majority opined that they would love to go back to their ancestral land to continue with their farm work, as they acclaimed, “there is no place like home”. But they also fear the issue of insecurity when they return home. Others are praying to remain in the camp, hoping only to return home where they expect to live meaningful lives in future. They, however, anchor that hope on improved situation of things.
Speaking on government’s preparedness to relocate the IDPs to their homeland, a government official attached to the Abagena camp said some of the IDPs had already returned to their homes, especially those in Umenger and Torkula areas, all in Guma Local Government Area, mostly affected by the herdsmen invasion. Nevertheless, he added: “There is no plan for now by the state government to return the IDPs to their ancestral homes given the level of insecurity in the state and their various their area.”
However, the question on the minds of most of the IDPs is: “When will this siege by herdsmen be over and peace returned to the state?”