…Benue now home to 1.5m IDPs – Gov Alia
By Peter Duru, Makurdi
The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated the sum of N1billion and relief materials to displaced communities in Benue state to help alleviate their condition.
The First Lady, who made the donation Tuesday when she visited the state to commiserate with the people and government of the state over the June 13 Yelewata attack that claimed over 200 lives, called for an end to insecurity in the state and parts of country.
Senator Tinubu reiterated the need for peace and dialogue in the state, noting the important role Benue plays in the nation’s growth and development especially in the area of food security.
According to her, “Benue has alot to contribute to the nation’s growth and development especially in the area of food security.”
Mrs. Tinubu pointed out that Nigeria was not at war with itself and urged an end to the attacks, saying Nigeria’s diversity “is designed to help us grow and not to divide us.”
Lamenting the condition of victims of the crisis, the First Lady said, “What is most worrisome is that many people are living in conditions so harsh that they can only be described as hellish. And yet, these people are human beings like us.
“Nigeria is a nation of deep complexity. Ethnicity, religion, and culture all have their place, but they must not become walls between us. They should instead be bridges of understanding.”
The First Lady assured that “government will not rest on its oars in fighting insurgency in the country especially in Benue that is the food basket of the nation.
“We cannot afford to allow farmers stay away from their farms, but through peace and dialogue, the state will rebound back through God.”
She pledged to continue supporting those in need, particularly children, girls, and individuals with disabilities.
Earlier, Governor Hyacinth Alia who commended Mrs. Tinubu for her various interventions in the state through her Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI, lamented the recurrent attacks, sacking of Benue communities and killings in the state by armed herdsmen.
He disclosed that Benue at the moment “hosts over 1.5 million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, spread across official camps and host communities.
“And the recent attacks have led to the emergence of new IDP camps at the International Market, Makurdi, where over 3,160 persons, mainly women and children, as well as at NKST Primary School, Naka where 18,592 persons are camped seeking refuge under dire conditions. These are families who have lost their homes, farmlands, livelihoods and loved ones to violent invasions.”
The governor noted that “while attention is given to Yelewata, recent killings after the Yelewata incidence in Naka has created much bigger humanitarian crisis that need global attention and support.”
While calling for support and intervention from the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, private individuals and organisations, the governor reiterated his earlier call for “the urgent and compelling need for the establishment of State Police and the domestication of across the country. The current security architecture has not proven sufficient in curbing the incessant attacks on our communities.
“A decentralized, locally rooted policing structure will greatly enhance intelligence gathering, swift response, and accountability. It is time for Nigeria to embrace State Police as a practical and necessary step towards securing lives, property, and peace across the nation.”
The governor also appealed to Mrs. Tinubu to “consider championing the process of encouraging the domestication of Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law across all North Central states. A regional approach to ranching and the prohibition of open grazing will ensure consistency in enforcement and eliminate safe havens for violators moving across state boundaries.”
The Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council and Tor Tiv, HRM Prof. James Ayatse called on the Federal Government to take action against terrorist groups attacking Benue communities from neighbouring Nasarawa state where he claimed they retreat to after such attacks.
He cautioned that peace would not return to the state until the activities of such armed groups were decisively dealt with by the Federal Government.
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