No fewer than twelve Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Agagbe camps, Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, have fallen victim to snake bites since January 2025.
The latest case involved 14-year-old Chagu Terhemen, who was bitten last Friday while heading to the farm with his father in Gaambe Ushin Council Ward. According to fellow IDP Terna Ibaah, the boy was given traditional treatment, but his condition worsened, with convulsions setting in by Sunday afternoon.
“From January till now, we have recorded 12 snake bite cases among IDPs in Agagbe. Thankfully, no lives have been lost, but treatment has mostly relied on traditional medicine due to lack of proper medical care,” Ibaah lamented.
He accused camp officials of neglect, noting that the camp manager refused assistance for Terhemen because he currently stays with the host community due to congestion in the camps, despite being a registered IDP.
Congested Camps, Limited Healthcare
Agagbe currently hosts IDPs across five congested locations: RCM Primary School, Sisters Convent, Saint Francis Secondary School, the old police station, and Adzequa Store.
Medical personnel reportedly visit only between Monday and Thursday, leaving victims in critical situations when emergencies occur outside those days.
SEMA Reacts
When contacted, the Information Officer of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Tema Ager, said that there is an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, for emergency cases.
“As long as the victim is a registered IDP, they should be taken to the Teaching Hospital for treatment,” Ager stated.
Despite this assurance, many IDPs insist that neglect and bureaucracy continue to put lives at risk, particularly in cases such as snake bites where immediate intervention is critical.
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