Hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Yelwata community in Benue State on Thursday barricaded a major road in Makurdi to protest worsening hunger, neglect, and alleged diversion of relief materials meant for their survival.
The demonstrators, comprising mostly women and children, blocked the busy route near Makurdi International Market, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill for hours.
They carried placards with distressing messages such as “We are dying of hunger”, “No food, no water, no medicine”, and “Our children sleep on bare floors.”
Eyewitnesses said the protest began around 8am and quickly drew attention from motorists, traders, and passersby, as the IDPs demanded urgent government action to address their deplorable conditions in the camp.
According to some of the protesters, at least two deaths have occurred in the last week due to starvation and poor sanitary conditions.
They alleged that food items, mattresses, and other essentials donated by well-meaning individuals and organisations—including notable contributions from the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr Paul Enenche—never reached them.
“There is no food. Our children are starving. We sleep on the floor and mosquitoes are almost killing us,” a visibly distraught woman, who identified herself as Mama Christy, told PLATFORM TIMES at the scene.
Another protester, Ibrahim Danjuma, accused officials in charge of the camp of hoarding and possibly diverting donated relief items.
“We heard food and mattresses were sent to us, but they never arrived. Instead, we hear they were taken elsewhere. People are dying and nobody is telling us anything,” Danjuma lamented.
The protesters called on the Benue State Government and humanitarian agencies to launch an immediate investigation into the alleged diversion of relief materials. They also urged for the replacement of camp officials suspected of compromising the welfare of displaced persons.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from either the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) or the state government regarding the protest or the allegations.
The Yelwata IDP camp is home to thousands of people displaced by persistent communal clashes and armed attacks in parts of Guma and Logo local government areas of Benue State. Many residents have lived in displacement for years, depending on external support for survival.
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