Benue State Government Abandoned 10,502 Refugees at Ichwa/Tas Yande IDP Camp

One hundred-year-old Paulina Gbie abandoned her village at Yogbo in Guma local government area in Benue state, seeking refuge at Ichwa/Tas Yande camp for internally displaced persons (IDP) in Makurdi. A hard-working farmer, Madam Gbie cultivates yam, rice, and guinea corn despite the frailty of her age.

She, however, abandoned her farm and comfort when Fulani herders attacked her village. While at her village, Mama Paulina Gbie sustained herself through earnings from the crops she cultivated on her own farm. But now as a displaced person she has to depend on her daughter’s meager income from daily jobs at the IDP camp.

Mama Paulina Gbie, the oldest person at Ichwa/Tas yande IDP camp

‘My daughter goes to the rice mill to work as a labourer and whatever she makes for the day is what we feed on,’ mama said in Tiv. ‘Any day she cannot make money, we stay hungry,’ she concluded, leaning on her walking stick.

Ichwa/Tas yande IDP camp, situated ‌at the Federal Housing First Gate, along the University of Agriculture road, provides refuge for persons whose villages were invaded by Fulani herders. These people live in deplorable conditions and are abandoned by the Benue state government.

Yer Gabriel, the camp chairman, informed Dataphyte that since 15th December, when they sought refuge at the camp, the state government had never visited them.

Gabriel is also a victim, as he abandoned his farms at Achakpa village, ‌at the outskirt of Makurdi, the state capital. He also has to drop out from the National Open University, Makurdi study center, as he no longer has the means to support his education and family.

Camp Chairman Yer Gabriel and his son

The father of two and breadwinner of his household now depend on local NGOs, religious bodies, and well-meaning individuals for survival.

‘I can’t go back to my farms for fear of being killed,’ he said. ‘Some people tried going back some time ago to look for food because of the hardship we were going through here and were killed,’ he explained.

Gabriel said that since they sought shelter in the camp from the 15th of December 2020, they have not been visited by the state governor or the state emergency management agency. They have been left on their own to their fate to either go back to their villages and face death in the hands of the herdsmen or die of hunger in the camp.

The camp, divided into three locations (The main camp and two satellite locations), has 10,502 persons. This comprises 5435 households. The main camp has a population of 7,810 campers, made of 3,787 households. These households suffer untold hardship because of being neglected by the government.

Ubete Samuel, who fled from attack at Guma local government area, explained their deplorable living condition. The displaced farmer said that the campers have to make their tent by themselves. Those who had money used a tarpaulin to construct their tent, while the others used just wrappers and sacks for the construction.

‘Whenever rain falls, the people seek shelter at a building in the camp,’ he said. ‘Others go into uncompleted buildings around the camp where they stay until the rains stop before returning to the camp,’ he explained.

He further pointed out that they have to mould a heap of sand before laying their sleeping materials. Even those whose tents are good still experience inconveniences when the rain is heavy.

Samuel said the two shelters available in the camp were built by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. This is where the people run to when there are rainfalls.

This delapidated facility was built by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs

However, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provided other facilities in the camp. They provided the centre with a borehole that served them, and they also built toilet facilities at the centre.

Toilet facilities built by Medicine San Frontiers (MSF)

The campers have been receiving help from the public, but these efforts are just limited. According to Samuel, some members of the public do come every morning to take some of the young and agile ones to engage them in some labour for pay. This has been the source of living for these people even though it can only cater for a day or two.

The IDP Camp’s only source of water built by Medicine San Frontiers MSF

When asked why the state emergency agency hasn’t visited them, Samuel said the camp was described by the government officials as an illegal camp and ‌wasn’t recognised.

Dataphyte’s reporter visited the office of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency to get comments on the situation of the IDP camp but was not granted an audience.

These persons fled the comfort of their homes to save their lives but are left unattended to by the government. They would have been in a more deplorable situation if not for the help they received from some well-meaning members of the public and MSF.