There is no denying the fact that the living conditions in the several internally displaced persons camps across Benue State are full of agonies, pains, and discomfort, Arewa PUNCH’s investigations have revealed.
Regrettably, women and children make up the majority of inmates in the 14 official camps scattered across the state.
Worse still, most of the inmates have lived in the camps for almost eight years now, where they suffer from the lack of potable water, food, security, and healthcare.
Ironically, in spite of the despicable and harrowing lifestyle in these camps, many of the male and female inmates still manage to copulate and have children, this is according to very reliable sources and data available to Arewa PUNCH.
Our correspondent reliably further gathered that hardly does a month runs through without recording the birth of a new baby in the camp.
The cluster nature of living in these camps, marked by overcrowding couples, infected with varying types of diseases already at different degrees, according to checks does not discourage the inmates from making out time to mating in very unusual, dirty and unsightly secluded areas such as the makeshift toilets, dusty barefloor, and overgrown bushes within and around to the camp sites.
Checks at the State Emergency and Maintenance Agency office in Makurdi further revealed that no fewer than 25 new births were, for instance, recorded within two months in seven designated camps in the state.
Although, Arewa PUNCH was informed by the camp managers that there are 14 designated camps across the state, a quick look at them showed that, from May 2024 till date, the Agagbe Camp in Gwer West LGA has officially recorded nine births, while the Otese Camp in the Guma LGA recorded six births.
The Daudu II Camp also in Guma LGA recorded two newborn babies so far and the Naka Camp in Gwer West LGA has two recorded births whereas, inside the Ukpiam Camp, four newborn babies were recorded.
At the camp in NEPA, also, one birth was recorded just as the same birth record was noted a piece in both the ApIchwa and Anyiin camps located at Logo LGA.
A thirty-year-old female inmate who simply identified herself as Akpeku Nyemana of room 2 RCM Primary School IDP camp, Agagbe in Gwer West LGA, opened up to Arewa PUNCH that she had lived in the camp since 2020.
She narrated, “I became pregnant here at IDP camp and gave birth to a baby boy this month.”
However, she declined to speak further on how she got pregnant who is responsible for the baby boy and the circumstances that led to her pregnancy despite the overcrowded, undignifying, and dirty lifestyle in the camp.
However, Nyemana commended the state government and other partners for caring for the numerous pregnant and nursing mothers in the Agagbe camp.
Further investigations reveal that the living conditions of the internally displaced persons in all the camps are extremely challenging due to substandard shelters, insufficient sanitation facilities, and scarcity of food and other essential items needed for living a decent lifestyle but which are absent at all the camps visited.
Another inmate, 32-year-old Tondo who lives inside the Ichua camp located along the University of Agriculture road in Makurdi told Arewa PUNCH that all the able-bodied male inmates engage in farming and menial jobs to augment what the government and corporate bodies donate to the IDPs.
“Life in the typical IDP camp is horrible because there is no place like home. You can not get those necessities of life from these camps.
“What we do now is that we encourage the adult males in camp now to engage in farming within the nearby communities to augment whatever the government provides.”
Corroborating Tondo, a volunteer in the Agagbe camp, Terna Jacob disclosed to our correspondent on Wednesday that the Agagbe camp is faced with inadequate shelter, toilet facilities and food items.
He added that due to inadequate shelter, the inmates are camped in five locations which are: RCM Primary School, St Francis Xavier Secondary School, Police Station, Sisters Convent and St Patrick’s Primary School all in Agagbe.
Jacob stressed, “The major problems at the IDP camp Agagbe is shelter and hunger. Though the state government has taken it upon itself to be distributing food and non food items to displaced persons in all the camps across the state on a monthly basis.
Arewa PUNCH recalls that the last exercise on the distribution of food and non food items was held on May 30, 2024, by the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, James Iorpuu and among other items he distributed were 2440 bags of 25kg rice, 729 bags of beans, 160 bags of garri, 1520 cartons of Indomie,175 gallons of groundnut oil, 157 gallons of red oil, 905 cartons of Maggi, 185 bags of salt and 60 bags of sugar.
Iorpuu who decried the alarming rate of IDPs in the state called on all stakeholders, including the government’s agencies, non-governmental organisations, and the international community to continue to collaborate with the state government to attend to the humanitarian needs of the state.
He noted, “the monthly distribution of food and non-food items to the internally displaced persons underscores Governor Hyacinth Alia’s unwavering commitment to alleviating the suffering of those who have been displaced from their homes and are currently residing in IDP camps across the state.
The SEMA boss lauded the United Nations agencies for their relentless support and invaluable contributions towards improving the living conditions of the IDPs.
He insisted, “We appreciate the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for deploying seven of their critical sectors in our state. Their efforts in camp coordination and camp management, shelter and non-food items, livelihood, water and sanitation, and transitional recovery have been instrumental in ensuring that our IDPs receive the necessary assistance and support.
“We also extend our gratitude to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Population Fund, and Plan International. Your continuous support and resources have made a significant impact in addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by our IDPs.
“Your contributions in providing essential services, enhancing protection, and promoting sustainable development are deeply appreciated.
“To our IDPs, I assure you that your plight is at the forefront of Benue-SEMA. We are committed to working tirelessly to secure the resources and support to improve your living conditions and to facilitate your eventual return to your ancestral homes,” Iorpuu assured.
