Tension erupted on Thursday night at the International Market Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, Benue State, as displaced residents from Yelewata community staged a protest against plans by the state government to relocate them to their ancestral homes.
Hundreds of women, children, and elderly men gathered at the main entrance of the camp, chanting slogans such as “No security, no return!”; and demanding that government authorities halt the planned relocation until adequate safety measures are put in place.
The demonstrators, many of whom survived a deadly attack in June that claimed over 200 lives, said Yelewata remains unsafe and uninhabitable.
Suspected armed herdsmen had reportedly invaded the farming settlement, killing residents and setting homes and farmlands ablaze. Survivors said they are still receiving threats and hearing sporadic gunshots from the area.
“We watched our families burned alive,”; a grieving mother cried out during the protest. “We need healing, counseling, and an assurance this will never happen again.”;
The Benue State government had recently announced a phased return of displaced persons to Yelewata, citing requests from certain community leaders. However, IDPs at the Makurdi camp described the initiative as disconnected from reality, arguing that they were not consulted before the announcement.
“Our leaders may speak for themselves,”; one protester said. “But those of us who suffered the attacks are not ready to go back. We are still traumatized.”;
The protesters presented three key demands: a verified and sustained security deployment in Yelewata and surrounding areas, access to trauma-healing and counseling services, and a voluntary, gradual reintegration process tailored to their readiness and safety.
“We are not just homeless; we are displaced and traumatized,”; one of the demonstrators told Benue Info Media. “We deserve to be heard, respected, and protected.”;
Several civil society organizations, including the Benue Humanitarian Network and the Justice & Peace Initiative, have also urged the state government to suspend the relocation plan and initiate dialogue with affected persons.
As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Government had not issued an official response to the protest.
