Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Madam Bridget Akpum, mother of eight had taken her destiny in her hands when sometimes in October last year, she left the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, Abagana in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State to return to her ancestral home in Zaki Gbojo, Guma Local Government Area of the state.
And as she had lived with her children and husband at the IDP camp for two years since February 2018, she decided it was time to return home and pick up the pieces of her life.
One of the major reasons that gave her strength of mind to return was the news that the joint security operation code-named Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) had troops around her village who were working really hard to ensure the safety of returnees.
However, she had to return to camp in January after news of the alleged killing of one of the villagers allegedly by some herders whom she claimed had been co-existing with them since her return from the camp.
According to the story she heard, trouble started when the man whose name she gave as Masha got to his farm that fateful day and saw some cattle eating up his crops while the herdsmen watched with leisure.
“We heard that it was while the man confronted them that a fight ensued and he died in the process. That’s why everybody ran away from the village for fear of another attack and I’m back to camp.”
Although Madam Akpum’s claim cannot be verified by both the OPWS and the police in the state, the IDPs have continued to appeal to the Federal Government not to withdraw the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) from Benue.
Another IDP, Joseph Angough, who has also been in camp since 2018 said that if the Federal Government withdraws troops from their villages, then it would be difficult for them to fully return home.
Angough, a young man in his late 20s disclosed to our correspondent that himself and some other members of his village have been going to farm in the village for sometime now and returning back to sleep in the camp.
He said that they are, however, not confident enough to stay back in the village for fear that the invaders could come any moment to wreak havoc.
The young farmer who confirmed that some people have gone back to their ancestral homes especially in areas where troops are, said he could not yet fully return home because his village is far into the bush.
He recalled that three villagers who went back to rebuild their house in the village and also farm returned to the camp empty as the herders again allegedly destroyed all they laboured to rebuild in one day.
“We can’t return because Fulani are still in our village. Three people went back and were farming. The Fulani who were also in the village allowed them, but when the crops were ready for harvest, fulani destroyed both the farm and the small house they built.
“They reported the matter to security and returned back to camp. That’s why we are afraid to go back. Withdrawing troops at this time is not safe for us especially with the activities of Fulani in some of our villages,” Angough said.
On her part, Bridget Aondo, mother of 10 children from Chechiata Village after Torkula village in Guma Local Government Area said if there’s peace, she would like to return to her village without any further delay.
Aondo who sells petty provision in the camp premises said that since she’s been in the camp for almost two years now, her life has remained static without any progress at all.
“If I were at home, I know what I would have been able to achieve within these two years. Being here is just like putting my life on hold. That’s why I’m happy about the deployment of troops to Benue and I was even contemplating returning back home before the end of the first quarter of the year.
“Then we started hearing news of the planned withdrawal of troops by the government. I want to beg them to please shelve that decision to withdraw troops at this time because we need them (troops) to still be around to build our confidence.
“If there’s peace, I like my village better than this IDP camp and I will not hesitate to return home anytime soon. I want to get my life back because there’s no place like home.”
Iwar Aondowase from Kaseyo Village in Guma said that his Kaseyo village is not yet safe to return to although our correspondent authoritatively gathered that troops have recently been deployed to the village.
Aondowase who got married to his heartthrob in the camp said that life had not been the same for him since coming to the camp because he now has to depend on the goodwill from people to Abe able to feed his young family.
“We have been going to supervise our village to see if we can return but we are not yet convinced to return because the herdsmen are still coming.
“I heard about the withdrawal of troops by the Federal Government because if they do, then we will not go back to our village. I want to go back home, but the village is not yet safe. I have lost so many things staying here, especially not doing anything for two years now.”
However, it is learnt that most of the IDPs will not return to their ancestral homes unless there is a political will by the state government to close those camps.
A source who did not want his name to be mentioned said that with what the IDPs are getting as relief from the state government and other donors, it would be difficult for them to go back home on their own free will.
He particularly recalled that in December at the Abagana Camp, each family was given bags of rice, 10 litres of vegetable oil and other food items during the Yuletide season and wondered how anyone would expect them to leave when they’re getting such largesse for free.
Manager of Abagana IDP camp, James Iorkyaa told our correspondent recently that the people are yet to return to their ancestral homes for fear of being attacked by Fulani herdsmen whom he alleged are still around in some of the villages in Guma council area of the state.
He alleged that some of the IDPs who attempted to return home had to run back to the camp after news of the destruction of farms belonging to some villagers by Fulani cattle filtered in.
“People have not returned, but only visiting their homes and coming back. You have come at a time the majority of them have gone to the farm to harvest their goods especially now that the herdsmen are coming back.”
Iorkyaa, a staff of the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said from the report he gets from the IDPs daily, it was not yet safe for them to return to their villages.
“We have reports from the locals who go to farms everyday. The herdsmen are in almost all villages in Guma like Torkula, Umenger and Kaseyo. That’s why we still have this high number of IDPs in this camp. As at today, we have 8,210 IDPs still in camp.”
He appealed to the Federal Hovernment not to withdraw military troops yet until the issue of security of the hinterlands are completely tackled and the IDPs are resettled in their ancestral homes.
“I’m not in support of the withdrawal of troops yet because the herdsmen are still coming and destroying farmlands. The troops are trying their best, and we appreciate what they are doing, but we need them to be around until the villages are safe enough for the IDPs for them to be withdrawn. Some herdsmen were seen at Uvir village and their cattle were impounded by livestock guards just recently.”
Also, the state government and other prominent members of the state have continued to appeal to the Federal Government to reconsider the planned withdrawal as the decision could portend trouble for the state.
Only last week, the state governor, Samuel Ortom and his Nasarawa State counterpart, Abdullahi Sule during a joint security meeting held in Lafia, jointly appealed to the Federal Government not to withdraw troops yet.
The two governors disclosed at the meeting that they had written formally to the authorities concerned to hold on with the planned withdrawal of troops for another two years until situations along the borderline of the two states improve.
It would be recalled that in December last year, journalists in Benue were taken on a tour of villages across Benue and Taraba states where it was discovered that many villagers had returned and were going about their normal businesses.
The tour was organized by the Defence Headquarters in collaboration with the 72 Battalion, Makurdi, Benue State and 93 Battalion, Takum, Taraba State to troubled areas of the two states.
But the question on the lips of many is what is the reason for the planned withdrawal of the troops when the peace in many volatile areas of the country is still very fragile.