Uyai-Abasi Etido
5,138 persons in Benue community have lost their lives to unknown gun men attacks in the last seven years.
This was disclosed on Monday by the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA.
The Executive Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Shior made this known in Makurdi while briefing the media on the activities of the agency and the humanitarian challenges it was contending with.
According to Dr Shior, the attacks which had also forced over two million Benue farmers out of their ancestral homes had left the state grappling with the worst humanitarian crisis ever witnessed in this part of the country.
“The attacks have led to the death of over 5,138 persons from 2015 that Governor Samuel Ortom took over the reins of power in the state till date; this is the figure we have though many of the killings were unreported and we are still counting. Besides over two million persons are currently held up in Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps across the state with most of them living in dire conditions but unfortunately, the All Progressives Congress, APC, led Federal Government turned deaf ears to what is happening in Benue.
“It is sad that even the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has not deemed it necessary to visit Benue or give enough attention to the situation we have in the state as she is doing in the Northern parts of the country, knowing fully well that our IDPs are living in dire conditions. If not for the regular intervention of Governor Samuel Ortom-led administration, the humanitarian situation would have gone beyond what we are facing presently.
“That is the manner we are being treated under this APC-led Federal Government, that is why I am appalled by the recent comment of the Benue State APC gubernatorial candidate, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia who accused SEMA under my watch and the state government of mismanaging the situation and the intervention.
“While I would not want to join issues with a Priest I would, however, want to make it known to the world that the APC governorship candidate has never for once visited these traumatized IDPs nor has he ever reached out to them. The same applies to APC leaders in the state.” he said.