CAN donates relief materials to 8,000 IDPs

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Nasarawa State on Sunday donated relief materials to over 8, 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camped in the state.

Joseph Masin, state Chairman of CAN made the donations comprising 10 bags of gari, 20 bags of rice and assorted clothes to IDPs in kaderko, in Keana Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IDPs, who are mostly Tivs, were allegedly chased out from their communities bordering Benue State by suspected herdsmen.

NAN also reports that they were currently camped in 15 camps in Keana alone.

The Chairman said they were not only there to distribute relief materials, but to also share in the pains of the IDPs who lost some of their loved ones during the attack.

“It is a very pathetic situation to see children, women and the aged being forced and dislodged from their homes.

“Despite all the killings going on simultaneously in many states of the country, our military that fought and restored peace in other African countries were able to do little or nothing.

“Government should urgently deploy the military to the border towns between Nasarawa and Benue in order to restore peace and return the people to their homes,’’ he added.

The CAN Chairman also urged the Federal Government to drop the idea of cattle colonies and adopt ranches system as it was the only way to curtail herdsmen/farmers crisis.

Mr Christopher Gbongbo, the spokesperson of the IDPs, who received the items on behalf of the IDPs, expressed gratitude to CAN for the gesture.

He however, regretted that no government official or agency had visited nor sent relief materials to the camps in Keana.

Gbongbo, therefore, appealed to both state and federal governments to come to their aid as well as deploy military to the area.

The highlight of the occasion includes special prayers for the return of peace and normalcy in the area by CAN.