More than 3,000 internally displaced persons from Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State took to the streets of Makurdi on Thursday in a peaceful demonstration to protest the acute food scarcity at their temporary camp.
The demonstrators, currently sheltered at the Makurdi International Ultra Modern Market following a deadly attack by suspected armed herders last Friday, marched along Abu King Shuluwa Road, singing protest songs and calling on authorities to urgently address their plight.
The protest follows a brutal invasion that reportedly left over 200 people dead and many others injured, prompting mass displacement from the affected community.
Amid chants and placard messages, the IDPs decried what they called neglect by both state and federal authorities, particularly highlighting the lack of food and basic supplies.
They appealed for either immediate relief or assistance in returning safely to their abandoned homes.
Their action temporarily disrupted vehicular movement along the busy road as protesters blocked key sections, insisting on being heard.
Speaking on behalf of the group, one protester said, “We are hungry, we have no food, and our children are suffering. We want to return home if the government cannot feed us.”
