Imoke welcomes displaced Benue residents as they take refuge in C’River

HUNDREDS of Fulani people displaced in Katsina-Ala, Benue State, following the recent communal clash between them and their Tiv neighbours are now taking refuge in Utanga, Obanliku Local Council of Cross River State.

The Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) who arrived in Utanga community in several trailer loads of women and children, as well as some of their livestock mostly cattle, have flooded the area.

Governor Liyel Imoke has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to intervene immediately.

Presenting relief materials to the IDPs in compliance with the governor’s directive yesterday at the Utangha Camp, the Director General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Vincent Aquah, sympathised with them and assured them of their safety in the state.

He said the hospitality of the people of the state would be extended to them and advised the displaced persons to be law-abiding while they go about their duties without fear.

The director general said discussions were going on between Cross River and Benue states on how to end the crisis and return the displaced people to their homes as soon as possible.

The IDPs, according to an eyewitness report, are now settling in about four camps, using grasses and tree shades for their shelter. A visit to the camps showed that the most vulnerable, women, were partially clothed while substantial numbers, especially children, had no clothes on them at all.

Apparently exposed to the scorching sun and heat in the day and extremely cold weather at night, many of the children are having cold and other weather-related diseases such as cold and catarrh. Their belongings, such as clothes, mats and cooking utensils were scattered all over the place. The people are obviously passing through trying times as they lacked basic necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter.

Most of them, who spoke through interpreters, revealed that hundreds of their people and their cattle were still on their way, having been displaced following the inter-tribal crisis in Benue State, which they said, was getting worse by the day.

One of the displaced persons, Hassan Umar, said: “I have over 80 heads of cattle but with the crisis, I have lost 20 of my cattle and I do not even know where they are. This violence is not good for us. Please, the government should come to our aid”.

Another victim, Ahmed Mohammed, in tears, lamented his losses, saying: “This is wickedness on our tribe. How can a group of people just swoop on us and our property? They have destroyed our cattle and displaced our people. We are Fulani and the only business we have is rearing of cattle. But now, we are scattered and no place to grace. We are calling on the Federal and Benue State governments to come and do something to help us because we are suffering”.

Speaking on behalf of the IDPs, Alhaji Yusuf Usman said the movement of the victims was prompted by the communal clash by the Fulani tribe who are mostly cattle-rear and their host communities in Benue.

Yusuf said they came to seek refuge in Cross River State because of the peaceful and hospitable nature of the people, assuring that the gesture would not be abused. According to him, as soon as the situation becomes to normal, they would happily return to their Katsina-Ala homes in Benue.