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As preparations intensify for the official visit of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Benue State on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, concerns over the utilization of a N1 billion donation made in 2025 to support victims of the Yelewata attacks have resurfaced.
The donation, presented through the Renewed Hope Initiative to Governor Hyacinth Alia, was intended to help displaced families rebuild livelihoods, facilitate their return home, and support affected children’s education following the June 13, 2025, attack on the border community in Guma Local Government Area.
The Benue Development Forum (BDF), in a statement signed by Secretary Silas Iorpenda, urged Senator Tinubu to seek explanations on how the funds were utilized, noting that the living conditions of Yelewata internally displaced persons (IDPs) do not reflect the impact expected from such a substantial intervention. The group cited recent deaths of IDPs at the Ortese camp, including Mrs. Iwuese Gowon, who reportedly died from a snake bite due to lack of anti-venom medication, and young Damian Ahanbee, whose family allegedly could not afford treatment at Bishop Murray Hospital.
Social media influencer Asom D. Jerry also called for accountability and an independent probe into the management of the funds, a position supported by several Benue citizens who emphasized the need for transparency.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Makurdi, Wilfred Anagbe, during a homily at the one-year anniversary of the Yelewata Massacre, decried the dehumanizing conditions of the displaced persons and urged the government to urgently resettle them in their ancestral homes.
The growing public outcry highlights persistent challenges faced by Yelewata IDPs, including inadequate healthcare, social support, and prolonged displacement, even as the state prepares to host the First Lady under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
