President Bola Tinubu has been urged by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to act immediately to address the humanitarian crisis in the IDP camps in Benue State, where there are hundreds of children who are not in school and numerous adolescent pregnancies as a result of gunman assaults.
During the union’s humanitarian outreach to IDP camps at the Abagana in Makurdi, the state capital, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, made the plea and expressed optimism that the Federal Government will act more responsibly this time around because Nigerians are suffering.
The ASUU leader bemoaned the difficulty of safely relocating the internally displaced people to their communities and homes, which are presently seized by armed herdsmen. He was represented by Professors Ralph Ofokwu and Stellamarris Okey. The IDPs received food and clothing from the ASUU officials as well.
The leaders of the displaced people stated they want to return home if security is provided to drive out armed herdsmen from their homesteads, notwithstanding assurances from state emergency management agency officials to ASUU officials on transparency in sharing the commodities with IDPs.
Since January 2018, killer herdsmen have targeted the Logo and Guma local government areas, among other regions of the state, forcing IDPs to flee their homes and gather in 12 camps throughout Benue.