The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has revealed that no fewer than 6,527 persons have been displaced following a series of deadly attacks by suspected gunmen in Benue State.
The agency said the figure includes pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, and children.
In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, NEMA said the latest violence occurred in Yelewata community, located in Guma Local Government Area, during the early hours of Saturday.
According to the agency, rescue and recovery operations are ongoing, and more accurate figures will be made available once assessments are concluded.
“Following a distress alert, troops of the Nigerian Army and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were deployed to the scene,” NEMA said. “Unfortunately, two soldiers and one NSCDC officer were killed in an ambush while responding to the attack in Daudu.”
The agency also disclosed that 46 persons sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to hospitals, but sadly, 20 of them later died.
Medical teams at the affected areas are said to be in dire need of blood donations to support victims currently undergoing critical care.
Confirming the incident, the Benue State Police Command said some of the attackers were neutralised during a gun duel with security forces.
Meanwhile, efforts to provide relief for victims have already commenced. NEMA noted that, in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Red Cross, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a new Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp has been set up at the Makurdi International Market.
So far, over 3,000 persons, mostly women and children, are taking shelter at the camp. They are said to be in urgent need of food, clean water, medical care, and other essential supplies.
“As at last night, displacement figures stood at 1,069 households, amounting to 6,527 individuals,” the agency said. “These include 1,768 females, 759 males, 657 children under 18, 1,870 adults, 252 lactating mothers, 82 pregnant women, and 91 elderly persons.”
NEMA added that urgent humanitarian aid is being mobilised to cushion the hardship faced by the affected families.
