Benue Launches Resettlement Plan for Yelewata Attack Survivors

The Benue State Government has announced the commencement of a formal resettlement programme for victims displaced by the deadly Yelewata attacks that occurred in June 2025, officials said on Monday.

At a press briefing in Makurdi, Mrs Deborah Aber, Secretary to the State Government and Chairman of the Technical Committee on Donations for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), confirmed that resettlement efforts are now underway as part of a coordinated support initiative for survivors.

Aber said the state government has mobilised about ₦1.27 billion in donations from key contributors to support housing, healthcare, education, food security and other essential needs of displaced residents. Major donors include Senator Oluremi Tinubu (₦1 billion), the Nasarawa State Government (₦150 million), United Bank for Africa (₦100 million) and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (₦25 million).

According to the SSG, the technical committee has completed over 85 per cent of its planning mandate, encompassing detailed assessments of IDPs’ needs and a transparent mapping of beneficiaries in both host communities and camps.

The relief funds have been allocated across multiple critical sectors, with ₦277 million earmarked for resettlement and other portions directed at health care (₦112 million), nutrition (₦224 million), water and sanitation, education, agriculture and peacebuilding efforts.

The initiative includes the construction of 60 two-bedroom homes near Yelewata, with 38 units now at the roofing stage and several already completed, aimed at allowing displaced residents to return to more dignified living conditions close to their ancestral lands.

In addition, 5 883 IDPs have been enrolled in the Benue State Health Insurance Scheme, giving them access to medical care, while support for school children’s education is being addressed through infrastructure and learning materials.

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