Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Benue State, has cautioned the state government against plans to permanently resettle internally displaced persons (IDPs) outside their ancestral communities.
Speaking during the Holy Mass and reception commemorating the Feast of Saint Thomas More at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Makurdi, Aondoakaa questioned the rationale behind relocating displaced persons away from their ancestral homes. He warned that such a move would amount to surrendering Benue lands to terrorists, stating that if rightful owners are permanently resettled elsewhere, their lands would eventually be occupied by those who violently displaced them.
“The more we run, the more they take over our lands,” he said, describing the proposed resettlement as unacceptable.
The former Attorney General of the Federation urged the government to adopt decisive security measures that would guarantee the safe return of displaced persons to their communities rather than permanently relocating them. He emphasized that restoring people to their traditional homelands would enable them to resume farming, their primary means of livelihood, while preserving their heritage and identity.
The event also celebrated the appointment of the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria as the Episcopal Chairman for the Laity in Nigeria. In his homily, Bishop Anagbe encouraged Christians, especially those in leadership and public service, to uphold truth, justice, and integrity despite challenges.
