Benue begins resettlement of Yelewata IDPs after N1.25bn donation
By Jeffrey Agbo
Benue State Government on Monday said it has since commenced the resettlement of the June 2025 Yelewata Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Bar. Deborah Aber disclosed this at a press conference in Makurdi.
Aber, who is also the head of the technical committee for the donations for IDPs Committee in Benue State, said the state government received in donations the sum of N1.25 billion from four donors.
She said the committee has already achieved over 85 per cent of its given mandate.
She listed the donors to include, Sen Oluremi Tinubu N1 billion, Nasarawa State Government N150 million, United Bank for Africa N100 million and Director General, DSS N25 million, totalling N1,275,000,000 received.
She explained that the funds were to support all victims of attacks in the state and not only Yelewata victims.
She further explained that Gov Hyacinth Alia had set up the committee for the effective application of the funds to meet the exact needs of the people.
She said the committee aggregated all of their needs across food, health, shelter, education, livelihood and water.
Aber said cash transfer was allocated N56 million, nutrition and food N224 million, shelter N28 million, WASH N125 million, security N56 million, agriculture N56 million, resettlement N277 million, health N112 million.
Others are: peace and reconciliation N16 million, host communities N127 million, education N148 million etc.
“Working with our international partners, we came up with a model for resettlement that is acceptable worldwide.
“It seeks to settle people close to their locations in decent forms and houses close to their farms so they can continue with their livelihood.
“We have land earmarked for this purpose. We had an engagement to construct 60 homes for the displaced population in Yelwata.
“60 homes cannot accommodate the IDPs but that is what the funds can do. There are 38 of those homes of two bedrooms at roofing stage, three out of the 38 are roofed already. Altogether they are 45, only five have not reached roofing stage.
“The state with this model will start relocating its citizens to a more dignifying houses closer to their ancestral homes so that their lives can bear a semblance of normalcy,” she said
Aber explained that a mapping of beneficiaries was conducted to collate data to meet the specific people the funds were meant for.
She said the host communities were also included during the data collation, adding that in some places, the people are not in displaced camps but living with host communities.
“We also realised that these needs had to be scaled into medium and long term. All of that was done and work started immediately,” she said.
Aber also disclosed that medical supplies, including drugs and 5883 IDPs, have been enrolled in Benue State Health Insurance Agency with a premium of 10,000 paid per person to enable them access medical care.
She said the Committee had also provided water to the affected communities.
“Funds earmarked for education have been able to build four classrooms in Yelewata, provide textbooks, school bags for the pupils.
“We are grateful to our partners. As we speak, UNHCR is building a world-class clinic in Yelewata,” she said.
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