The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, has provided scholarships to one hundred and sixty-five children whose parents were slain by wandering herdsmen to attend all Catholic schools in the Diocese.
Bishop Anagbe revealed the information while celebrating his birthday at the Ortese Internally Displaced Persons camp (IDPs) in Benue State’s Guma Local Government Area.
He added that he chose to celebrate his birthday with the displaced people since he is one of them.
He complained about the Fulani herdsmen ongoing attacks on Benue communities, claiming that schools, hospitals, and churches are being destroyed.
“For me, celebrating with the downtrodden is not a new thing because I usually celebrate almost every Christmas with inmates at the prison to identify with them and give them a sense of belonging. This year, I chose to celebrate my 59th birthday, which comes up every 2nd of April, with the Ortese IDPs, which makes more sense to me because, the fact that the IDPs are happy seeing us, we will also share the little we brought with them,” he said.
During an interview, the camp chairman, Mr. Samuel Imbila, stated that twenty-five Internally Displaced Persons at Ortese camp had tested positive for Lassa Fever and Tuberculosis due to congestion and are being treated.
While calling for the construction of more tents to decongest the IDPs and halt the outbreak and spread of diseases, the camp chairman also stated that the lack of water for drinking and bathing in the camp for over three months is a serious threat to the lives of the IDPs, particularly children who are developing heat rashes all over their bodies.
Corroborating, the representative of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in the Camp, Mr. Mark Terver, said the IDPs are going through harshness in terms of acute water shortage for domestic use, adding that the IDPs, mostly women, trek between three to four kilometres in search of water.
“In the process of water search, many IDPs are being ambushed and raped by the marauding herdsmen,” he said.
During the celebration, the Bishop distributed various food and non-food items to the IDPs to help them cope with the hardships they’re experiencing.
Recall that the State Programme Manager, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme, Dr. Terence Akighir, during the 2024 Tuberculosis Day celebration, informed that from 2023 to date, 7,273 people across the State have been diagnosed with tuberculosis, of which 109 are drug resistant.