Vehicular movement came to a halt along the Yelwata stretch of the Benue–Nasarawa highway on Wednesday as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staged a protest, demanding an immediate return to their ancestral communities.
The demonstrators, identified as victims of ongoing attacks by suspected herdsmen, blocked both lanes of the highway for several hours while chanting slogans such as “We want to go back home.” The protest resulted in significant disruption, leaving hundreds of motorists and commuters stranded.
Eyewitnesses reported that many of the IDPs, who have lived in overcrowded camps for years, expressed deep frustration over the government’s failure to restore security in their communities. “We have suffered enough. We want to return to our homes and farms,” one protester said.
Security operatives were deployed to the scene to maintain order and prevent any escalation, though tension remained high as of press time.
Attempts to reach officials of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other concerned authorities for comments were unsuccessful.
