The Benue State Government on Monday, March 2, 2026, announced the commencement of the resettlement of the June 2025 Yelewata Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ms Deborah Aber, who announced this at a press conference in Makurdi, said the state government received in donations the sum of N1.25 billion from four donors.
Aber, who is also a member of the technical committee for the donations for IDPs Committee in Benue State, said the committee has already achieved over 85 per cent of their mandate.
She listed the donors to include, Senator Oluremi Tinubu – N1 billion, Nassarwa State Government – N150 million, United Bank for Africa – N100 million and Director General, DSS – N25 million totalling N1,275,000,000.
Aber further said that the funds were to support all victims of attacks in the state and not only Yelewata victims.
She said Governor Hyacinth Alia had set up the committee for the effective application of the funds to meet the exact needs of the people, adding that the committee aggregated all of the needs of the IDPs to include food, health, shelter, education, livelihood and water.
Aber further said that 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, and health N112 million.
Others included; peace and reconciliation N16 million, host communities N127 million, and education N148 million, etc.
She further said; “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 Yelewata.
“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 roofed already. Altogether, they are 45 and 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 also said that a mapping of beneficiaries was conducted to collate data to meet the specific people the funds was meant for, adding that the host communities were carried during the data collation
She said that in some places, the people were not in displaced camps but living with host communities.
In her words; “We also realised that these needs had to scaled into medium and long term. All of that was done and work started immediately”.
Aber also announced 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.
The SSG said the committee has also provided water to the affected communities, just as funds earmarked for education has been able to build four classrooms in Yelewata, provide textbooks and school bags for the pupils.
“We are grateful to our partners as we speak UNHCR is building a world class clinic in Yelewata,” Aber said.
