At least 1.5 million persons are in several internally displaced people (IDP) camps in Benue, according to Gabriel Nyitse, Chief of Staff to Governor Samuel Ortom.
Mr. Nyitise revealed this at the 70th-anniversary celebration and Thanksgiving Mass of The Knights of Saint Mulumba Nigeria, at the St. Leo Catholic Church, Ikeja, on Sunday. He attributed this surge in the number of displaced persons to the rate of insecurity in the region, noting that bandits had thrown most farmers into poverty, a development that, left unchecked, could lead to food scarcity in the country.
He said the state depends majorly on revenue from agricultural produce, and food production in the state has declined considerably because more farmers were abandoning the trade by the day for fear of being killed or kidnapped by bandits.
Nyitise further urged Christians to go into politics and fight for power and encouraged them to keep up the faith and continue praying for God’s intervention in Nigeria.
The 70th anniversary is a year-long event that is scheduled to close on June 4, 2023.
