Residents living behind the International Market in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, have raised fresh concerns over acute water scarcity, with many families and internally displaced persons (IDPs) relying on a single unsafe water source for drinking and domestic use.
The situation was brought to public attention through an eyewitness account by Joy M. Iorhuana, who visited the area and described the conditions as “heartbreaking.” According to her, the same contaminated source serves both long-term residents and IDPs in the community.
Iorhuana recounted seeing children fetching and drinking directly from the water point, raising serious fears about potential public health risks, including waterborne diseases. She expressed shock that such conditions persist in the heart of Makurdi, questioning how basic amenities remain inaccessible in an urban centre.
She further alleged that while some affluent residents in the area have private boreholes, access to these sources is often restricted, leaving poorer households and displaced persons without safe drinking water. The development has highlighted ongoing challenges with access to basic services in parts of the state capital, particularly for vulnerable groups.
“I saw children drinking from there and waiting to fetch water to take home. It broke me completely,” Iorhuana said. “How can people in the state capital be facing what many rural communities no longer experience?” she added.
She has called for urgent intervention from relevant government authorities and well-meaning individuals to provide sustainable solutions, such as the construction of boreholes or rehabilitation of water infrastructure in the affected area.
The water crisis behind the International Market underscores the persistent infrastructure gaps in parts of Makurdi, where rapid urbanisation and population pressure from IDPs continue to strain limited resources. Residents hope that swift action will be taken to prevent a potential health emergency in the community.
