At least, 500,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Benue State due to violent attacks by gunmen, Amnesty International has said.
Amnesty International’s report, published on Thursday on its official website and shared on X, described the dire conditions faced by the displaced people.
In the latest attack on June 14, more than 100 people were killed in the town of Yelwata, and nearly 4,000 others fled for safety.
Director of Amnesty Int’l Nigeria Isa Sanusi, in the report, said: “According to interviews with IDPs in Gwer West, Agatu, Ukum, Kwande, Logo, Guma and Makurdi IDP camps, as well as a makeshift IDP camp at Makurdi Modern Market, communities who come under attack are often left to fend for themselves with security forces only arriving long after the gunmen had left”.
According to the report, the Nigerian authorities have repeatedly failed the people of Benue State.
The group highlighted dire humanitarian conditions and criticized delayed security response, citing the June 14 Yelwata attack that killed over 100. It urged the Nigerian government to act swiftly to protect lives and provide aid.
The report called on the Nigerian government to act quickly to provide aid and protect the people of Benue from further suffering.
