Benue State Spends N160 Million Treating IDP Snake Bites

The Benue State Government spent more than N160 million between March and September 2026 to treat internally displaced persons (IDPs) for snake bites. James Iorpuu, Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), stated the funds were used for interventions at the Benue University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi because humanitarian partners provided insufficient support.

While SEMA reports ongoing efforts to provide medical care and food, camp leaders from 14 recognized sites describe a crisis of irregular food distribution and poor sanitation. Some leaders claim food assistance has been absent for up to five months. SEMA acknowledged operational constraints, noting that September rice deliveries dropped to fewer than 2,000 bags from the usual 3,500 due to funding and transportation shortages.

Healthcare gaps have widened following the closure of the health facility at the Anyiin IDP camp after Médecins Sans Frontières and the Victim Support Fund ended their support. This has left residents unable to afford necessary care. In response, SEMA has worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to establish settlement infrastructure, including relocating 110 IDPs to Akile to farm on 288 hectares of state land.

Despite these initiatives, displaced persons report they cannot return to their ancestral homes due to ongoing insecurity. James Iorpuu dismissed claims that planned IDP protests were driven by hunger, attributing the unrest instead to restrictions on camp visits.