ABOUT 3,605 displaced persons, mostly Fulani nomads, are currently taking refuge in four temporary camps in Utanga, Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Their displacement is the fallout of violent clashes between herdsmen and the residents of the middle-belt state of Benue.
A team from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which visited the camps to provide relief materials, confirmed that the temporary camps accommodate 905 men, 1,499 women and 1,201 children.
The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi, commended the Cross River State government for accommodating the displaced persons and for providing boreholes, tents and water tanks at the camps.
The NEMA head, who asked the camp managers to ensure direct distribution of the items to the displaced people, also said that efforts should be made to ensure their return to their respective settlements in Katsina Ala, Benue State after the resolution of the conflict.
Mike Adeyanju, who spoke on behalf of the Sani-Sidi, also appealed to the displaced Fulanis to maintain peace and cooperate with people in their host community.
Speaking on behalf of the host community, the Vice Chairperson of Obanliku Local Government Area, Margaret Achinikon, said the council was instructed by the state governor to create the temporary shelters for the displaced persons.
She expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and NEMA for providing the relief assistance.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Director General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Vincent Aquah, observed that the continued influx of more persons to the camps had created a need for more facilities and support from the government and stakeholders.
A representative of the displaced persons, Malam Wakili Abdullahi, said they had fled to the camps for safety and security, after the crisis that erupted in the Katsina-Ala local government area of Benue State. He thanked the host community for their support and promised to ensure peace and and harmony in the camps.