MAKURDI – Some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue, on Saturday appealed to the Federal Government to set up police offices on borders between communities where crises erupts regularly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IDPs made the call during a town hall meeting at their camp in Makurdi.
The meeting was organised by Benue Non Governmental Organization Network, the State Government and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution with support of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
One of them, Mr Dominic Nyam, said establishing the police stations would deter those prone to attacking other communities and enhance quick response to emergencies.
He saud it would also curtail the free movement of small arms within the boarder communities.
Nyam lamented over the level of insecurity in parts of the state which had led to the closure of schools and affected the livelihood of residents.
“Should the situation continue, the communities stand the risk of not producing educated youths in the nearest future”.
He regretted that most of the displaced persons that returned home were still facing security challenges.
“It is difficult to coexist side by side with those who are known to be responsible for your woes, pretending that nothing happened.”
Another displaced person, Mr Joseph Gbashima, believed that the recurring clashes between the Tiv people and herdsmen was political.
“Many people in government are benefiting from the crises so they never want the crises to end.
“As a humanitarian organisations, please, manage the crises using your manpower for the people to benefit from your assistance.
“And if you really want to assist in ending this persistent crises, please investigate the crises directly; this is because the politicians are the main beneficiaries of the crises”.
A traditional ruler, Mr Pius Nyam, appealed to the state government to institute a machinery to facilitate dialogue between the Tiv and herdsmen.
In a welcome address, the Acting Chairman of Makurdi Local Government, Mr Emmanuel Idoko, commended UNHCR for its humanitarian work across the world.
Idoko pledged that the government would identify the causes of the crises with a view to solving them, adding that the state needed peace to move forward.
In a message to the event, the UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, Mrs Angele Dikongue-Atangana said the meeting was aimed at finding solutions to the perennial communal crises in the state.
NAN reports that representatives of the various organisations that organised the meeting, said it was meant to evolve indigenous ways of ending crises, and guide those affected to recover from their moral and psychological losses. (NAN)
IDPs urge FG to establish Police offices to protect border communities
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