The Benue State Government has started the process of returning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their original homes.
The operation, which commenced on Friday, October 17, 2024 at the Baka camp along 72 Barracks Road, North Bank Makurdi, marks a significant step in fulfilling Governor Hyacinth Alia’s promise to repatriate IDPs to their ancestral lands.
The Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Aondowase Kunde is leading the effort in collaboration with Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), IOM, and other stakeholders.
He announced that 3,698 IDPs from 1,114 households at the Baka camp in North Bank were being moved to temporary housing located along the Makurdi-Gbajimba Road.
Kunde said that “the Governor’s priority is to facilitate the safe return of IDPs to their homes, and through a partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the state government has constructed temporary housing to accommodate them until they can return permanently.”
The commissioner emphasised that the government aimed to avoid long-term displacement by planning for solutions that allow IDPs to return home in a timely manner, with plans for another return operation scheduled for next month.
Members of the Baka camp, including Camp Chairman Samson Unum and Camp Women Leader Patricia Nyikor, expressed gratitude to Governor Alia for providing them with improved living conditions, including access to water, electricity, and security in their temporary homes.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
Comments are closed.