•Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State
Residents of several communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State have appealed to the federal and state governments, as well as the United Nations (UN) and other humanitarian organisations to facilitate their safe return home.
They said their displaced communities remained deserted despite the return of relative peace to the areas, reports The Nation.
The residents, who are victims of various attacks in Okpopkolo, Ikpele, Ogumogbo, Wari, Okpancheni, Eko, Icho Golugu, and Eno Gaje, spoke on Friday about their plight.
When our correspondent visited some of the affected communities to assess their conditions, the residents said the displaced Agatu people were yet to return to their ancestral land.
In some of the communities our correspondent visited, the residents narrated how houses, marketplaces, and other facilities were destroyed, while schools, health centres and economic activities remained at the lowest ebb.
The Executive Director of Apa/Agatu Foundation for Development, Mr. Apochi Nelson Owoicho, described the situation as a large-scale humanitarian crisis that required urgent intervention.
Owoicho said more than 15 communities in Agatu West remained displaced, adding that many residents were still unable to return because their homes had been destroyed and insecurity persisted.
“Today, we have seen for ourselves the disaster that has befallen our people. In Agatu West alone, there are over 15 communities that are currently displaced. Their people are not at home,” he said.
The foundation executive director said residents of the communities visited suffered the destruction of their houses and marketplaces, while economic activities had collapsed.
According to him, most of the affected communities depend heavily on farming, fishing and trading, making the prolonged displacement devastating to their livelihoods.
Owoicho said the situation also affected education and healthcare, adding that the absence of functioning schools and health facilities could have long-term consequences for residents.
“There is no visible government presence here. And these stories are highly underreported,” Owoicho said.
He urged international organisations, including the United Nations (UN), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), governments and well-meaning individuals to lend a hand.
“Our appeal is simple. We need a secure Apa-Agatu,” he said.
Owoicho noted that rebuilding the affected communities would require substantial resources and sustained commitment.
He said the impact of the displacement extended beyond Agatu, with several communities in neighbouring Apa also affected by insecurity.
The foundation executive director also expressed concern that children in the affected communities were unable to attend school, while the absence of functioning healthcare facilities could worsen maternal and child health outcomes.
Also, the Secretary-General of the Agatu West Peace and Unity Forum, Mr. Dandy Adoba Odoje, said their outcry was not political or to witch-hunt anyone, but to draw attention to the conditions confronting displaced residents.
“Before I say anything, let me set the record straight. We are not here for politics. Neither are we here to witch-hunt anybody. We are not here to criticise anybody. But we are here to tell the whole world the reality of what our people are facing since 2013,” Odoje said.
He said more than 15 villages had been sacked by attacks, leaving residents unable to return to their homes or sustain their normal economic and social activities.
According to him, the prolonged displacement had left residents without adequate access to healthcare, while many children had remained out of school.
He urged the federal and Benue State governments, as well as international organisations, to come to the aid of the affected communities.
“Please, come to our aid, the people we elected to represent our interests. Even though they don’t have anything to do, there is a need for them to cry to the Federal Government,” he said.
Another resident, Mr. Jeremiah Abraham, said he had not lived in his home since 2013 after armed herders attacked the community, forcing the residents to flee.
“All of a sudden, just in this community, the herdsmen came with their guns. They started shooting people and killing people up and down,” Abraham told reporters.
He said displaced residents were struggling to survive as they lacked the financial resources to rebuild houses destroyed during the attacks.
“We need security in our land. Then all the houses that herdsmen have burnt down, we need to rebuild them. But we don’t have financial capacity now,” he said.
For Mr. Joseph Moses, the communities had suffered repeated attacks, destruction of houses and loss of lives.
He appealed to the government to provide sustained security that would enable residents to return and rebuild their homes.
Moses said the community, which he claimed previously had about 300 residents, now had only eight people living in one remaining room.
The residents said their immediate needs included security, reconstruction of destroyed homes, restoration of schools and health facilities, and assistance to revive their livelihoods.
