The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Saturday, said herders’ attacks had ravaged about 21 out of the 23 Local Government Areas in the state.
He said the attacks had paralysed activities in the affected local governments.
Ortom, who spoke on the occasion of intervention of the Mdzough U Tiv in America (Tiv apex socio-cultural group) to Internally Displaced Persons at Abegana camp in Makurdi, also said, 11,900 Cameroonians, had been taken as refugees in the state.
Represented by the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency and Management Agency, Dr. Emmanuel Shior, the governor said the state had been providing for the social well-being of the refugees, aside from the over 1.5 million displaced persons in the state.
He said, “No less than 21 of the 23 Local Government Areas in the state have been attacked and ravaged, with some parts thereof left depopulated and with minimal or no ongoing socio-economic activities.
“At certain times, the Benue State Government came to aid households from various parts of Nasarawa and Taraba States who ran to Benue State for shelter and protection; also as a result of activities of the belligerent armed herdsmen.
“This crisis has claimed the lives of thousands of Benue citizens, and property and crops worth billions of Naira have been destroyed within these four years.”
He added. “At present, about 11,900 Cameroonian refugees are in Benue State in a designated place known as the Ikyogen Refugee Settlement.
“The state government provided food, water, shelter, health (both at camp and secondary health facilities), non-food items, psychosocial support, etc. to cushion the effect of their sufferings up until in 2018 when the UNHCR took over, leaving the state government with the responsibility of Camp Coordination and Camp Management and the provision of security.
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