Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
As the world commemorates Humanitarian Day, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has drawn the attention of the United Nations, other international bodies and civil society organisations to the plight of the over 500, 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
The governor, in a statement, lamented that the humanitarian crisis occasioned by armed herdmen attacks in the last eight months have overstretched the lean resources of the state.
He noted that hundreds of lives have been lost, homes, schools, churches and health centres destroyed with over 180,000 people in eight IDP camps and over 500,000 displaced people either living with relatives or in uncompleted buildings across several local government areas.
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According to him, out of the number of those in the camps, 80,000 were children forced out of school with over 2,000 pregnant women and 2,766 nursing mothers.
Ortom commended the efforts and intervention of humanitarian groups such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), civil society organisations and the media in bringing succour to the IDPs.
While applauding the Nigerian military for the ongoing Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), he reassured Benue people that his administration would not relent in its bid to see the end of armed herdsmen attacks aimed at conquest and occupation of the Benue Valley.