Benue Governor Ortom Calls for Suspension of Nigeria’s Planned Population Census Until IDPs Go Back to Their Homes

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has called on the federal government to suspend the planned 2023 national population and housing census until all internally displaced persons (IDPs) are returned to their ancestral homes. Speaking to a delegation from the Middle Belt Forum, Ortom expressed concern that the census would not accurately represent the number of people in the state due to the close to two million IDPs who would not be counted. The governor argued that IDPs needed to be in their localities to participate in the census and, therefore, called on the federal government to ensure adequate security for the IDPs to return to their homes before carrying out the census.

The 2023 national population and housing census is scheduled to begin on May 3rd, 2023. However, recent attacks on IDPs by suspected armed herders in Benue State, which claimed the lives of at least 43 people, have raised concerns about the safety of the census exercise.

Ortom lamented the injustice, bias, and tribalism in the country and called on both leaders and citizens to correct it before the country could move forward. He also criticized the federal government's alleged inaction in the face of sustained attacks on Benue communities by herdsmen, which have claimed over 6,000 lives and caused billions of naira in property damage.

The President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, supported Ortom's call to suspend the census, arguing that it was coming with a hidden agenda. Pogu also criticized the activities of herdsmen in the Middle Belt, who openly claim responsibility for killing people and displacing villages before renaming them.

To address the crisis in the country, Pogu called on the federal government to move beyond issuing condolences messages and take decisive action against the killers and their sponsors. He also emphasized that the people of the Middle Belt would not cede their land to anyone and called for the protection of their heritage.

In conclusion, the governor and the president of the Middle Belt Forum have urged the federal government to prioritize the safety and security of IDPs and ensure adequate measures are in place before carrying out the census. They also called for decisive action against the killers and an end to the sustained attacks on communities in Benue State and the Middle Belt region.