A member of the House of Representatives representing the Makurdi/Guma federal constituency, Dickson Tarkighir has raised the issue of ongoing violence in Benue State on the floor of the House on Wednesday.
Speaking to journalists afterwards, he painted a grim picture of a state crippled by insecurity and food shortages.
“These people burnt children, hacked pregnant women, cut limbs of young children and infants as old as one year,” Tarkighir said, describing the scale of the attack.
“Benue state, which used to be the food basket of the nation, is now an empty basket.”
The lawmaker lamented that ongoing violence has forced farmers away from their lands for over a decade.
“People have not been able to access their ancestral lands to farm for the past 10 years,” he said, adding that farming, a major source of livelihood in the region, has been deeply disrupted.
Benue, known for its rich agricultural output of yams, cassava, rice, and soybeans, has experienced repeated attacks.
With farmers displaced and rural communities under threat, food production has plummeted, worsening hunger and inflation in the region.
Moving a motion on the crisis during plenary, Tarkighir said “thousands of residents” had been displaced, resulting in a dire humanitarian situation.
He added that the attacks have regularly occurred within and beyond his constituency.
Following the motion, the House of Representatives urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and relevant ministries to urgently provide victims and displaced persons with medical aid and relief materials.
The lawmakers also called for a proper investigation into the killings to ensure justice is served.
To prevent future attacks, the House requested the federal government to establish a Forward Operating Base (FOB) for the army in Yelewata.
Benue’s farmers remain in limbo, their lands abandoned, their produce vanished, and their communities are mourning.
The House’s resolutions mark another call to action, but for many residents, they need security, food, and a return home.
