Internally Displaced Persons of Alakyo and 19 Other Communities Affected By Communal Clashes In Nasarawa State Gets Relief Materials

By Rabiu Omaku,Lafia

Nasarawa state Governor Umaru Tanko Al – Makura of at the weekend distributed 20 truckloads of relief materials to Alakyo village and 19 other communities submerged by the communal conflict in the last two years.

Alakyo village is the home of Baba Alakyo, the alleged leader of Ombatse militia group that killed 104 security operatives, according to records available by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Joseph Gbadeyin.

Distributing the items at Government House, Al – Makura said that his administration is worried by the plight of the affected communities who lost their belongings as a result of the crisis in the state.

The relief materials which are distributed for the fourth time in two years include rice, cooking pots, agricultural inputs, household items, clothing and building materials which include fertilizer, herbicides and knapsack sprayers, mattresses, roofing sheets, bags of rice, and beans among other things.

He said that the materials are disbursed in collaboration with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Al – Makura explained that the gesture was a special intervention meant to alleviate the hardship being faced by the victims and to also assist them in their farming activities.

“The gesture will go a long way in boosting food production in the state as the victims were predominantly farmers”.

“Government considers the plight of the victims very disturbing and that is why as a responsible government we shall continue to intensify efforts towards their wellbeing and those of the entire citizenry”.

The Governor who regretted that the communal violence had impacted negatively on the economy of the state, however, expressed delight that the situation has been brought under control and appealed to the people of the state to embrace peace as it was the only panacea for the much needed development of the state.

His Royal Highness, HRH, The Andoma Of Doma, Ahmadu Ogah Onawo, who spoke on behalf of benefitting communities said the gesture was an indication that Governor Almakura shares in the circumstances of his people, assuring that traditional heads in various communities would ensure that the relief materials gets to the intended targets.