DISPLACED PERSONS PROTEST STARVATION, ALLEGED RELIEF DIVERSION IN BENUE CAMP

Dozens of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Yelwata crisis zone in Benue State took to the streets of Makurdi on Thursday, June 19th demanding immediate food and medical aid while accusing camp officials of diverting donated relief items.
The protesters, mostly women and children, blocked major roads near the Makurdi International Market, wielding placards and chanting slogans denouncing what they described as government neglect. Witnesses reported that the demonstration created heavy gridlock in the area, drawing attention from passersby and humanitarian observers.
The protesters claimed that several deaths had occurred in the IDP camp due to hunger and poor health, with at least two individuals allegedly dying in the last week. “There’s no food. We sleep on the bare floor. Mosquitoes are killing our babies,” one distressed mother shouted.
Particularly troubling were accusations that donations sent by Pastor Paul Enenche of Dunamis International Gospel Centre — including mattresses and food — never reached the camp residents. Demonstrators alleged that officials managing the site have been hoarding supplies and distributing them selectively or for personal gain.
With no official government response at the time of filing this report, tension remains high among the displaced community. Protesters are calling on Governor Hyacinth Alia and federal agencies to probe the alleged corruption and ensure that humanitarian supplies reach those who need them most.