Internally displaced persons at Daudu 1 and Ukpam camps of Benue have asked the state government to allow them return to their ancestral homes.

Some displaced persons at camps Daudu and Ukpam, on Saturday, told the United Nations Children’s Fund that they were tired of being dependent on others.

They, however, commended the government, donor agencies and all organisations that were supporting their stay, but insisted that “life at home is better”.

Alice Nyitor, a 60-year-old mother of nine, said she came to the camp in 2018 and has since lived there with all her children, the youngest being 20 years old.

“I am begging UNICEF to appeal to the government to help us return home, we are tired of staying here.

“We need to return to our farming activities; commodity prices have gone up, yet we are here living at the mercy of others when we can actually decide things for ourselves,” she lamented.

On his part, Moses Nyiutsa, who also said he’s lived in the camp for four years, appealed to the government and UNICEF for quick intervention to enable them return home.

He said a bag of soya beans sells for N41,000 while rice goes for N22,000 at the market, and that four of his children were out of school for want of money to settle school fees.

“If I am out of here and carrying out my farming activities, they would never have been in this situation,” he lamented.

Adaka Njuul of Torkula village, another resident in the camp since 2018, said he had been looking forward to the day of his return.

He said the tent where they live is hot and small to accommodate a whole family, making it difficult to sleep at night and “have sexual relations with our wives.”

Other IDPs, interacting with the UNICEF chief, complained of poor basic facilities at the camp.

Some of the WASH Com volunteers at the camp, who are also IDPs, complained of the lack of toiletries, hand gloves, shovels and barrows for general cleaning of the camp.

(NAN)