Tension as IDPs shut down Benue–Nasarawa highway over demand to return home

Vehicular movement was completely grounded along the Yelwata axis of the Benue–Nasarawa highway on Wednesday as hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staged a protest, demanding immediate resettlement in their ancestral communities.

The protesters, reportedly victims of persistent attacks by suspected herdsmen, blocked both lanes of the busy highway for several hours, disrupting transportation and drawing attention to their prolonged displacement.

They chanted slogans such as “We want to go back home,” as they demanded government action on their prolonged displacement.

The protest caused serious gridlock on the highway, leaving hundreds of travellers and motorists stranded for hours as traffic was brought to a standstill.

Eyewitnesses said the displaced persons, many of whom have spent years in overcrowded IDP camps, are expressing deep frustration over the government’s delay in restoring security to their communities.

“We have suffered enough. We want to return to our homes and farms,” one of the protesters told reporters at the scene.

Security personnel were reportedly deployed to monitor the situation and prevent any escalation, though tensions remained high as of press time.

Efforts to reach the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and other relevant authorities for comment were unsuccessful.