IDPs block Benue–Nasarawa highway, demand safe return home after years in overcrowded camps.
Protesters decry insecurity, strand commuters for hours as officials remain silent on next steps.
Traffic was brought to a halt along the Yelwata section of the Benue–Nasarawa highway on Wednesday as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staged a protest, demanding to be allowed to return to their original homes.
The demonstrators, believed to be victims of repeated attacks by suspected herdsmen, blocked both sides of the busy road for several hours. They carried placards and chanted, “We want to go back home,” drawing attention to their long-standing struggle.
Witnesses said the protest left many motorists and commuters stranded for hours. Most of the IDPs have spent several years living in overcrowded camps and are growing increasingly frustrated over the government’s failure to provide security that would enable them to resettle in their villages.
“We have suffered enough. We want to return to our homes and farms,” one protester said during the demonstration.
Security agents were deployed to maintain peace and keep the situation under control. However, tensions remained high as the protesters refused to leave the highway.
Attempts to get a response from the Benue State Emergency Management Agency and other officials were not successful at the time of reporting.
