Herdsmen Attacks Has Left 80 Per Cent of Children as School Dropouts, Says Benue Govt

George Okoh in Makurdi

Attacks by Fulani herdsmen in Benue Communities have left at least, 80 per cent of children in those areas as school dropouts.

Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. Emmanuel Shior, disclosed this yesterday during the distribution of relief materials to over 1.5 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Shior lamented the worsening humanitarian challenge the attacks had caused the state even as he lament how the state would take care of the IDPs.

He expressed concern over the lukewarm attitude of the federal government to come to the aid of the state government to improve food supply to help alleviate the sufferings of the displaced victims.

He said, “If you look at our data, children are not included with the exception of communities that are located within Makurdi and its environs. Like at Abagena IDP camp, we have an emergency school there. In Daudu camp 1 and 2 and at Ukpiam camp, we have a small number of children, but locations like Umenger and Torkula in Mbadwem council ward, the number of children is small.

“The same thing in Logo, Agatu, Okpokwu and Kwande Local Government areas respectively among others. So, for the communities that are affected by the crisis, the number of children in school is about 20 per cent.”

Shior further disclosed that the Fulani militants have destroyed roads and bridges in some parts of the state to frustrate the efforts of security agencies at accessing remote areas to contain attacks.

He, however, commended humanitarian agencies and spirited individuals for their support to the state government, stressing that the burden the state has carried in caring for the victims was enormous and required the active backing of the federal government.