By Amos Aar
INTERNALLY Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Katsina-Ala LGA of Benue State have appealed to the government to enhance security measures to facilitate their safe return to their ancestral homes.
The call came as Plan International, a global humanitarian organization, provided relief support to over 1,550 affected individuals and households in the area.
The intervention, conducted on Thursday at the Katsina-Ala Local Government Secretariat, included the distribution of dignity kits, non-food items, and cash transfers.
The aid targeted vulnerable communities displaced by ongoing conflicts in the Sankera axis.
Distributed non-food items comprised kettles, blankets, pots, soap, jerry cans, and mats, while dignity kits contained sanitary pads, wrappers, towels, slippers, torches, and underwear.
Lilian Sunday, Project Manager of Plan International’s Maiduguri Office, stated that 400 young women and girls received dignity kits, 600 individuals benefited from non-food items, and 550 others were given cash transfers of N75,000 each.
She explained that the initiative, implemented in collaboration with Start Fund and ActionAid, aimed to assist displaced persons regardless of their origin.
“Once identified as displaced, individuals are eligible for support, irrespective of whether they are indigenes of Katsina-Ala,” Sunday said. “This 45-day project was limited to Katsina-Ala due to security concerns.”
Hon. Justine Shaku, Chairman of Katsina-Ala Local Government Council, commended Plan International for the intervention while expressing concern over the prolonged insecurity in the region, which has displaced thousands and disrupted the local economy.
“Katsina-Ala was once the gateway to Benue’s food basket. We are a peaceful people, but this crisis has severely impacted us. We are grateful for Plan International’s assistance,” he said.
Shaku noted that security efforts by state and federal authorities had reclaimed seven out of twelve previously besieged council wards. He acknowledged the support of Governor Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Tinubu, as well as community leaders, in restoring peace.
Despite the relief efforts, beneficiaries emphasized the urgent need for lasting security to enable their return home and resumption of farming and normal life.
Jacob Tyona, a displaced father of three from Mbatyula/Mberev council ward, shared that he has been staying with his uncle in Katsina-Ala town since 2021. “These items will greatly help my wife, who recently gave birth,” he said.
Agwaza Ngutor from Tir council ward, currently sheltering at LGEA Primary School, Amaafu, urged the government to provide protection. “Armed herders have taken over our villages since 2021. We cannot farm, and food is scarce. If security isn’t possible, at least sustain food aid in the camps.”
Another beneficiary, Agbudu Tavershima from Tir, now residing in a rented apartment in Katsina-Ala, praised Plan International’s intervention. “The government should have done this, but Plan International treated us with dignity. May their efforts be sustained.”
The displaced persons reiterated their hope for restored security to reclaim their homes and livelihoods.
