Don’t abandon IDPs in Taraba, Group tells FG

Facii Justin, Jalingo

Concerned Taraba Tiv Youth Frontier” (CTTYF) Monday, urged the federal government not to abandon the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state to their fate.

Chairman of the group, Mr. Goodman Dan Dahida made the appeal in Bali at the end of the group visit to some internally displaced persons camps in Donga, Takum and Bali local government areas of the state.

Dahida who expressed worry over the poor living conditions of the IDPs in the camps urged the federal government to provide food, shelter and medical services to the IDPs, adding that those living with HIV, diabetes and other diseases were having complications because of lack of access to medical services.

According to him, while some IDPs mange to return home and cultivate what they can eat, following Governor Darius Ishaku’s intervention, the Fulani herdsmen have been grazing over their farms, killing many of the returnees in the process.

He regretted that the federal government was not giving attention to the core IDPs in Taraba, rather attention was only concentrated on Boko Haram victims taking refuge in the state when according to him over 500,000 fled herders attacks in the state with some taking refuge in the neighbouring Benue and Plateau states.

“The Boko Haram war has overshadowed the herders’ attacks on farmers here in Taraba. Incidentally, the herders attacks have killed people even more than the Boko Haram. It is unfortunate that the federal has not deemed it fit to intervene despite series of pleas as if these people are not Nigerians,” he lamented.

The group during the visit presented some relief materials to the IDPs and encouraged them not to lose hope in God even if the federal government failed them.

The chairman, who commended Governor Ishaku for his efforts to end the killings, however said the issue of herders/farmers crisis was a national issue that required the federal government intervention to end it.