At least, 500,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Benue State due to violent attacks by gunmen, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
Amnesty International’s report, published on its official website and shared on X, described the dire conditions faced by the displaced people.
In the latest attack on June 14, more than 100 people were killed in the town of Yelwata, and nearly 4,000 others fled for safety.
“The smell of decomposing bodies hung in the air during a visit to the affected community by Amnesty International in the aftermath of the attacks.
“Clear evidence of the recent violence was everywhere, with spent bullet casings scattered on the ground and freshly dug mass graves used to bury the victims,”; Amnesty wrote.
Amnesty further revealed that after the attacks, survivors were spotted carrying food, firewood, and other belongings as they moved to find safety and shelter in camps of displaced persons.
“According to interviews with IDPs in Gwer West, Agatu, Ukum, Kwande, Logo, Guma and Makurdi IDP camps, as well as a makeshift IDP camp at Makurdi Modern Market, communities who come under attack are often left to fend for themselves with security forces only arriving long after the gunmen had left,”; Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria stated in the report.
According to the report, the Nigerian authorities have repeatedly failed the people of Benue State.
“Continuous attacks by gunmen have stripped thousands of their fundamental rights, including the right to life, safety, freedom of movement, and the ability to earn a living.
‘Those who survive these brutal assaults now endure additional suffering, living in overcrowded and unsanitary camps where diseases spread easily and basic necessities like food and clean water are in short supply,”; the report added.
The report called on the Nigerian government to act quickly to provide aid and protect the people of Benue from further suffering.
