…Bishop Anagbe urges government to resettle Yelewata IDPs
Joel Ajayi
As Nigeria’s First Lady and National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Oluremi Tinubu prepares to visit Benue State, some citizens have called on her to demand accountability over the N1 billion donation made in 2025 to support victims of the Yelewata attacks.
The call follows an announcement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, Tersoo Kula, that the First Lady will visit the state on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, as part of the Renewed Hope Initiative—a nationwide programme focused on empowering women, strengthening families, and supporting vulnerable groups.
It would be recalled that in July 2025, Senator Oluremi Tinubu donated N1 billion through the Renewed Hope Initiative to assist families displaced by the June 13, 2025 attack on Yelewata, a border community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. The donation was officially presented to Governor Hyacinth Alia during a condolence and solidarity visit at the New Banquet Hall of the Benue State Government House in Makurdi.
The intervention was intended to help displaced families rebuild their livelihoods, facilitate their return to normal life, and support the education of children affected by the tragedy.
However, concerns over the utilisation of the funds have continued to grow. On July 30, 2025, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Yelewata staged a protest by blocking the Makurdi-Lafia highway, demanding to be returned to their ancestral homes.
Human rights activist Ukan Kurugh, who shared the incident on Facebook, reported that the protesters chanted, “We want to go back home,” expressing frustration over their prolonged displacement and continued insecurity.
Ahead of Senator Tinubu’s latest visit, the Benue Development Forum (BDF) has urged the First Lady to seek explanations regarding the utilisation of the N1 billion intervention.
In a statement signed by its Secretary, Silas Iorpenda, the group argued that the living conditions of Yelewata IDPs do not reflect the impact expected from such a substantial intervention.
The forum also cited the recent death of an IDP, Mrs. Iwuese Gowon, at the Ortese IDP Camp after suffering a snake bite, alleging that the absence of anti-venom medication contributed to her death. It further claimed that several other displaced persons had suffered similar tragedies due to inadequate healthcare.
The BDF also referenced the death of young Damian Ahanbee, another Yelewata IDP, who reportedly died after being bitten by a snake while living at the Ortese camp. According to the group, his condition worsened as efforts were made to secure government assistance, but no intervention came.
He was later taken to Bishop Murray Hospital in Makurdi, where his family was reportedly asked to deposit about N600,000 before treatment could begin. Unable to raise the amount, the family watched helplessly as his condition deteriorated until he died.
The forum described the incident as a painful reflection of the harsh realities facing displaced persons in Benue State and questioned why vulnerable IDPs still lack access to emergency healthcare and social support.
Similarly, social media influencer Asom D. Jerry, through his verified Facebook account, called on Senator Oluremi Tinubu to demand accountability for the N1 billion donation made to support the Yelewata victims.
Several Benue citizens who reacted to his post also backed calls for an independent probe, insisting that transparency and accountability are necessary to address growing public concerns over the management of the intervention funds.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Makurdi, Wilfred Anagbe, during a homily at the one-year anniversary of the Yelewata Massacre held last Saturday, decried the dehumanising conditions of the displaced persons and called on the government to urgently resettle them in their ancestral homes.
