THE DILEMMA OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN GUMA, BENUE STATE

By Anakaa Ann Gabriel

Daudu, a community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State is located 15 minutes
from the Benue State capital, Makurdi. Geographically, it is home to some of the Tiv speaking
people of the State.

A recent visit to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) Camp-3 in Daudu raised an issue-action-
impact engagement with the people as to their living condition before the crisis and the course of
their life activities (mainly farming and general lifestyle) as the crisis persists.

As a Youth and Media creative trainee, I met and interviewed some IDPs and refugees at camp-
3. Most of them are farmers displaced by the farmer-herder crisis.

IDP camp-3 sectional/backyard view

Disputes over land for grazing and farming have developed into bloody violence in Benue state.
This has caused thousands to flee their homes, leaving their means of lively hood and are now
living as refugees in camps set up by government and other charity organizations. The IDP
camp-3 houses over 1500 refugees. The camp is built with tents made from trampoline and
wooden frames as support. Each unit is occupied by a household or an entire family, no matter
the family size. In some cases, families are merged to stay in a unit whenever the numbers of the
displaced go up. The displaced are facing a lot of difficulties and are crying out for help.

Mrs. Comfort Ajo, farmer and woman leader.

Mrs. Comfort Ajo is married with 7 kids and has been displaced by the farmer-herder crisis in
Benue State. Comfort is Tiv by birth and speaks Hausa in addition to Tiv language. Before the
crisis that displaced thousands including her family, she had been an active farmer involved
majorly in the cultivation of yam, rice and maize.

Comfort was born into farming and by the virtue of inheritance has been an active farmer all her
life. She says farming has been a business and a life style for her and her entire family.

Speaking about farm practice and methods, Mrs. Comfort Ajo appreciated the use and benefits of
mechanization in farming stating that it has helped to improve yield and productivity in
agriculture. Although she lamented the lack of even distribution of farm inputs and equipment
and also expressed dissatisfaction with government’s assistance particularly in subsidizing
agriculture and properly incentivizing farmers.

Farming used to be a lucrative venture for me up until the disputes said Comfort. In narrating her
ordeal, she says; “We have lost all due to the crises; farmlands, farm produce, houses and
personal belongings. As we fled for our lives, we left everything behind and now we have lost it
all. Till date, we cannot return to our homes or farms.” And there has been no means of
compensation she added.

On leadership and her role as woman leader in the camp, Mrs. Comfort Ajo attributed her
success and emergence to hard work and transparency she learnt from her parents growing up
and working on the farm and transacting business at local markets.

Mr. Agbende Nicholas

Mr. Agbende Nicholas is a native of Tse-Kpanye in Guma Local Government Area of Benue
State. He is married with 7 children and has been displaced for about 3 years now. He has been
in and out of IDP camps in a bid to get a better life for himself. Each time he tries, he is faced
with challenges and setbacks that lead him back to the camps. He has taken refuge in the IDP
camp-3 Daudu which is built and run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Nicholas is educated up to tertiary level and is currently a volunteer teacher in the same camp he
has taken refuge in, teaching and helping out with the basic education of displaced children.

He grew up on the farmland too and farming have been a means of livelihood to him and his
family until the crises. He confessed his love for farming and said it is through farming that he
was able to pay himself through school. Though he would love to work in a formal organization
all things being according to his wish.

The above and other respondents prayed and hoped for an end to the disputes so that they could
go back to living their normal lives for it is harsh and ugly for them in the camps.

PHOTOS

COVID-19 hand wash station at the camp just outside the medical block at the camp
Mrs. Grace Gondo with her last child out of 8. - A respondent

General COVID-19 hand wash tank at the camp