Governor Samuel Ortom has cried out over the overwhelming challenges of catering for the rising number of Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue State.
Ortom, while answering questions on the plights of IDPs when he briefed newsmen in Makurdi on Saturday about the achievements of his second term in office to mark this year’s Democracy Day, lamented that the administration could no longer cope with caring for the IDPs.
“Our challenge is that these attacks are ongoing and swelling the numbers of the IDPs.
“It has made it very difficult for us to cope.
“In 2018, we opened eight camps but today there are increasing numbers of the IDPs due to resurgence of attacks in Agatu, Ado and Konshisha areas among others.
“The challenges are really overwhelming and we can’t cope any longer.
“That’s the truth. We are really in a humanitarian crisis,” he said.
The governor, therefore, urged good spirited individuals to extend their kind gestures toward the displaced people whose numbers he estimated to have reached 1.5 million across the state since renewed attacks on rural communities commenced.
He said, “one million people were profiled before renewed attacks but right now, we are talking about over 1.5million IDPs in the state.”
Ortom further appealed to the federal government to redeem its N10billion promise made to the IDPs in some states of the country including Benue.
