Tragedy strikes Gbajimba IDPs camp in Benue as herdsmen kill 10

Makurdi, Benue State – At least 10 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have fallen victim to armed herdsmen attacks at the Gbajimba IDPs Camp in Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.

The unsettling revelation was made by the Camp Manager, Mr. Felix Banke, during a visit from the United States Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USBHA) delegation, led by the Acting Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Sir James Iorpuu.

Banke shared that the attacks occurred in both Gbajimba IDPs Camp II, where nine individuals lost their lives since the camp’s establishment, and Gbajimba IDPs Camp I, where another person was killed just a week ago, with the victim yet to be laid to rest. Apart from the threat of armed herdsmen, the camp inhabitants are grappling with challenges related to diarrhea due to a lack of access to clean water.

The Camp Manager underscored that in addition to hosting displaced persons from Benue State, the camps are also accommodating IDPs from neighboring Nasarawa State.

He expressed the eagerness of the displaced individuals to return to their ancestral homes if provided with guaranteed safety. Furthermore, the IDPs expressed their willingness to undergo training in various skills such as hairdressing, welding, and tailoring to support themselves if given the opportunity.

At the Ortese IDPs Camp in Guma LGA, where herders were observed openly grazing their cattle behind the camp, the Manager, Mr. Mark Kparev, reported that over 11,000 IDPs have been registered in the ongoing biometric capturing exercise.

Responding to the distressing situation, the Acting Executive Secretary of SEMA assured that Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration is actively collaborating with the Federal Government and international partners to facilitate the safe return of IDPs to their homes. The Executive Secretary also disclosed that SEMA had initiated the supply of water to the Ortese camp following the withdrawal of Doctors Without Borders from providing the service at the camp.