Benue State has been plagued by recurring violent attacks, kidnappings, and killings, often attributed to armed herdsmen, leaving residents in a state of fear and insecurity.
About nine months after attack on Yelwata town in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State by suspected herdsmen, where over two hundred residents were massacred, life is slowly returning to the area.
Already, the Benue State Government has commenced the process of resettlement of the affected victims of the town, who are in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp, by building permanent residential housing units with 45 out of 62 units already at various stages of completion.
A visit to Yelwata town on Tuesday by some journalists led by the Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Benue State Council, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, clearly witnessed the gradual return of normalcy to the area as work was in progress to facilitate the return of IDPs to their land.
Speaking with journalists during the visit, the Chairman of Yelwata Elders Forum, Mr. Fidelis Dze, who spoke through Achin Tor Mathias, Publicity Secretary, Yelwata Youths Vanguard, appreciated the Benue State Government for the support they have received from the government to cushion the effect of their sufferings.
The community leader commended the wife of the president, Oluremi Tinubu, for the donation of one billion naira, and also appreciated the support of the Nasarawa State Government and other donor agencies. He added that the state government was making efforts to ensure their resettlement.
Dze explained that the community has given about 20 hecters of land to the State Government for resettlement purpose and some units of houses were being constructed for the benefit of IDPs and appealed that members of the community should be adequately involved in the process of resettlement for better understanding of the process.
At the resettlement site, where some housing units were being erected, the contractor, Joachim Ohemu, told journalists that the housing units would be completed within 90 days and assured that he was ready to finish the work as scheduled.
According to him, the plan of the syate government was to construct roads, build a school, security and provide other facilities in the area for the benefit of the occupants.
The Benue State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disasters Management, Aondowase Kunde when contacted for comments, said the community members were part of the meeting for the resettlement process and were adequately participating.
The commissioner noted that the state government has planned to build the Yelwata market but not the way it was built before and assured that already the plan has been made.
He appreciated the elders of the community who generously gave land for resettlement purpose saying the elders themselves said the land was theirs and housing units were also for them.
