By Amos Aar
FOR OVER a decade now, thousands of families in Benue State have lived in fear, pain, and uncertainty, have been displaced from their ancestral homes and land that once fed them. Many of these Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), now living in makeshift shelters across the state, say they have become beggars in their own homelands.
At NKST Primary School in Naka, Gwer West LGA, tears rolled down the face of Mama Ngoyem Igba from Sengev as she recalled how life changed since 2013 when Fulani herdsmen invaded their communities.
“Some of them even occupy our houses, eat the food we plant, kill our livestock and eat anytime they want. And when we try to go near our houses, they kill us,” she said, her voice breaking as she wiped her tears.
Another displaced farmer, David Kaaimo, from Mbapa, said most parts of their once-thriving villages have been reduced to ashes. “In some areas, no single house exists again. The land is just lying fallow for many years,” he lamented.
For years, farming, the main source of livelihood for these communities, has been impossible. Their rich, fertile land has been taken over by armed herders, forcing them to depend on humanitarian handouts for survival.
It was against this backdrop that the Nigerian Red Cross Society, in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), on Monday began distributing cash and non-food relief items to 1,900 displaced households across six local government areas of Benue State.
The initiative, under the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) Population Movement Project, is to provide temporary relief for families who have lost everything to violence and displacement.
At the flag-off ceremony in Naka, the National Communication and Advocacy Adviser of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Mr. Victor Achigbulu, said the intervention was part of the Red Cross’ commitment to alleviating human suffering.
He explained that each household would receive ₦100,000 cash alongside non-food items such as kitchen sets, mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerrycans, and water purification tablets.
“We know the kind of suffering people go through when they are displaced. Many flee for their lives during attacks without carrying even basic household items. This support will help them rebuild and stay healthy in their temporary shelters,” Achigbulu said.
According to the IFRC Surge Field Coordinator, Mr. Abdullahi Fye, the intervention followed requests from the Nigerian Red Cross to support displaced populations affected by banditry and herder attacks between June and July.
He said the project includes both financial and technical assistance, such as hygiene materials and training to improve access to clean water. “This assistance is purely humanitarian and meant to provide immediate relief. It is not for commercial purposes,” he cautioned.
The Benue State Branch Secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross, Mr. Anthony Abah, said 675 households in Gwer West benefited from the first phase of the intervention.
He emphasized that community leaders and camp officials were involved in identifying the most vulnerable beneficiaries, widows, elderly persons, people with disabilities, and child-headed homes, to ensure fairness.
The Community Engagement and Accountability Focal Person, Mary Ikeh, explained that the project also covered Guma, Agatu, Apa, Otukpo, and Gwer East, providing lifelines to hundreds of displaced households. She shared toll-free complaint lines — 07080601149, 0800009000, and 08031223043 — for IDPs to report issues regarding the distribution process.
Ikeh also handed out ATM cards loaded with ₦100,000 to each beneficiary, urging them to guard their four-digit PINs carefully.
Representing the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Emmanuel Bako, who spoke on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Dr. James Iorpuu, said the state agency would monitor the process to ensure transparency.
“What is meant for the displaced persons will be given to them. Since I came here, there has been no issue of diversion. We have been on our toes, together with volunteers serving here in Gwer West,” Bako said.
He appreciated the Nigerian Red Cross Society for its resilience, commitment, and determination in providing succor to displaced persons in Gwer West.
Earlier, in a welcome address, the Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Hon. Victor Ormir, represented by the Council Secretary, Mr. Julius Iornyagh, commended the Red Cross for its continued presence in the area and called for lasting peace to enable the people to return to their ancestral homes.
For the displaced families, however, true relief will only come when they can safely return to their lands, rebuild their homes, and resume farming.
As Mama Kwaseenger Jor, another beneficiary, prayed with trembling hands, “I’m very grateful for what the Red Cross has done for us. May God bless them. But our prayer is to go back home, not to remain here begging.”
