By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Tiv origin from Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, currently taking refuge in neighbouring Benue State, have appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to grant them audience for a direct interaction over their prolonged displacement.
Speaking with journalists via telephone on Thursday, the leader of the displaced group, Hon. Peter Achibo, said a meeting with the governor would help him appreciate the dire conditions they continue to endure in the camps and the urgent need for their resettlement.
“We are pleading with His Excellency, Governor Agbu Kefas, to create just a few minutes of his time to listen to us directly,” Achibo said. “An interaction with the governor will enable him understand what we are going through and why it is important that we return to our ancestral homes in Wukari.”
Achibo lamented the harsh conditions in the IDP camps, where access to basic services such as education and healthcare remains a major challenge, especially for children.
“Our children are growing up without access to schools or healthcare, and this is deepening their psychological trauma,” he stated. “If these children grow up knowing nothing but life in the camps, without meaningful social interaction or education, they may grow with a mindset that encourages ethnic hatred and disunity.”
The IDP leader stressed the need for reconciliation, saying it was time to turn the page on past crises and pursue sustainable peace.
“Crisis has come and gone. What we need now is reconciliation to pave the way for permanent peace,” he said. “We want the governor to know that we are his people—displaced by conflict—and we are living like wild animals.”
“Life in the IDP camps is not what humans should endure. An opportunity to speak directly with the governor will help him understand the pain and desperation of his displaced Tiv people from Wukari.”
Achibo further expressed the community’s readiness for peace and dialogue.
“We know that conflict benefits no one, and there is no better time than now to make amends. We are ready to accept dialogue that will bring about genuine peace and development to Wukari Local Government Area,” he concluded.
The displaced Tiv population has remained in camps across Benue State for years following recurrent communal clashes in southern Taraba, and their call for reintegration adds to growing demands for long-term solutions to internal displacement in the region.
