Benue begins resettlement of Yelewata attack victims, enrols 5,883 IDPs in health insurance

The Benue State Government has commenced the resettlement of victims of the 14 June 2025 attack on Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area, marking the first phase of efforts to return displaced residents to their ancestral homes.

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The Secretary to the State Government, Deborah Aber, disclosed this on Monday at a press conference in Makurdi.

Mrs Aber, who also chairs the Technical Committee for Donations for Internally Displaced Persons in the state, said the affected persons had begun returning home under a structured resettlement plan developed by the government in collaboration with international partners.

Yelewata was among the communities attacked in June 2025 when gunmen killed more than 100 people, forcing thousands to flee.

The incident formed part of a wider pattern of violence across several local government areas in the state.

N1.27 billion in donations

Mrs Aber said the state received a total of N1.27 billion in donations from four contributors to support victims of attacks across Benue.

She listed the donors as the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, who donated N1 billion; the Nasarawa State Government, N150 million; United Bank for Africa, N100 million; and the Director-General of the State Security Services, N25 million.

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According to her, the funds are not limited to Yelewata victims but are intended to assist all affected communities in the state.

She said the committee had achieved over 85 per cent of its mandate and that Governor Hyacinth Alia constituted the body to ensure transparency and effective application of the funds.

Breakdown of allocations

Mrs Aber said the committee conducted a needs assessment covering food, health, shelter, education, livelihood support and water supply.

She gave the following breakdown of allocations: N56 million for cash transfers; N224 million for nutrition and food; N125 million for water, sanitation, and hygiene; N56 million for security; N56 million for agriculture; N277 million for resettlement; and N112 million for health services.

In addition, N16 million was earmarked for peace and reconciliation initiatives; N127 million for host communities; and N148 million for education.

She said the education component funded the construction of four classrooms in Yelewata and the provision of textbooks and school bags for pupils.

Mrs Aber also disclosed that 5,883 internally displaced persons had been enrolled in the Benue State Health Insurance Agency, with each person paying a premium of N10,000 to access medical care.

She added that water projects had been executed in some affected communities and that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was constructing a clinic in Yelewata.

Resettlement model

Explaining the approach adopted by the state, Mrs Aber said the government, working with international partners, developed a resettlement model that seeks to return displaced persons to locations close to their original communities.

“It seeks to settle people close to their locations in decent houses close to their farms so they can continue with their livelihood,” she said.

She disclosed that land had been earmarked for the project and that 60 two-bedroom houses were being constructed for displaced families in Yelewata. Of these, 38 are at the roofing stage, while three have been fully roofed.

She acknowledged that the 60 units would not be sufficient to accommodate all displaced persons from the area, but said the construction reflected what the available funds could cover at this stage.

She added that beneficiary mapping was conducted to ensure that assistance reached intended recipients, noting that some displaced persons were living with host communities rather than in formal camps.

Amnesty’s warning

The state government’s announcement comes months after Amnesty International warned of a looming humanitarian disaster in Benue.

In a 10 July 2025 statement titled “Nigeria: Violence and widespread displacement leave Benue facing a humanitarian disaster,” Amnesty said at least 510,182 internally displaced persons were in camps across the state as of the end of 2024, with more displaced in 2025 following fresh attacks in Gwer West, Agatu, Ukum, Kwande, Logo and Guma, including Yelewata.

The organisation described conditions in several camps as dire, citing overcrowding, poor sanitation, inadequate shelter and limited access to food, clean water and healthcare.

It said children and pregnant women were among the most vulnerable, with reports of frequent births in camps lacking proper hygiene facilities.

READ ALSO: Two displaced pregnant women die in Benue host community

Amnesty’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, said at the time that the authorities had repeatedly failed to protect residents and ensure adequate humanitarian support, warning that persistent impunity for attacks was fuelling insecurity.

The rights group urged the Nigerian authorities to provide sufficient relief, including shelter, food, water, sanitation, healthcare and compensation for victims, and to take steps to prevent further attacks.

While the Benue government says the resettlement programme aims to restore dignity and livelihoods to displaced residents, humanitarian organisations continue to stress the need for sustained protection, accountability and long-term support to address the scale of displacement in the state.