Lawmaker Ugbor: Benue Crisis More Severe Than Previously Thought

The representative of the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency in Benue State, Terseer Ugbor, has stated that the crisis in the state is more severe than reported, emphasizing that the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) may be underestimated.

The lawmaker made this remark during an interview on Arise Television, which was monitored by DAILY POST on Thursday.

“The violence in Benue State is more serious than reported. The IDP numbers may be underestimated.

“Let me put it this way. If the Tor-Tiv, the leader of all Tiv people globally, confirmed in front of President Bola Tinubu that there are genocidal killings occurring in Benue, and if the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese and the victims who have been killed and displaced from their ancestral homes have confirmed the same, who am I to dispute that?

“The reality is that genocide is occurring in many regions of Nigeria. When we think of genocide, we recall the Darfur genocide, the southern Congo, and the Holocaust perpetrated against the Jews by the Nazis. These events evoke very painful memories of what genocide truly entails.

“It is unimaginable that our people, as a whole in Benue State, could be subjected to genocide. I refuse to believe that Benue State can be erased from the map of this country. However, the reality is that there is a systematic genocidal assault against numerous communities in Nigeria.

“One of the initiatives we plan to implement is a mechanism to raise funds and develop programs aimed at resettling over 600,000 IDPs currently in Benue State, one of the highest numbers in Nigeria.

“This was also corroborated by U.S. Congressman Riley Moore, who was part of a fact-finding delegation on Christian genocide in Nigeria, and he witnessed this situation firsthand. This is what we have been advocating for many years.

“Benue State has unfortunately become the IDP capital of Nigeria. We hope that the discussions held at the state level, involving the government and the bishops, will establish a framework for resettling IDPs and integrating them into productive activities for the benefit of our beloved Benue State,” he stated.