According to Vanguard, Six months after the deadly attacks on Christmas Eve last year, internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Plateau State are still reluctant to stay in designated camps. Instead, they prefer to stay with relatives and loved ones, citing cultural peculiarities and harsh conditions in the camps.
Gladys Bulus, an IDP who lost her child during the attack, said many displaced persons are registered in camps but prefer to stay with sympathizers, including relatives and friends. John Madaki, another IDP, attributed the reluctance to stay in camps to the lack of amenities, diseases, and quarrels.
Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, a peace advocate, added that the absence of well-built structures and sustained attacks have made IDPs abandon temporary church sites as camp locations. He emphasized the need for adequate security to secure homes and farmlands, enabling IDPs to return to their ancestral homes.
The Special Taskforce has warned that the situation poses a huge danger to the state's food supply and agricultural produce, as farming is the main occupation of the displaced communities. The state government is working to mitigate threats to farming, while security agents face pressure to resettle IDPs back to their ancestral homes.