The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed essential relief materials to support victims of the recent deadly attack in Tadurga village, Zuru Local Government Area of Benue State.
The intervention follows a rapid needs assessment jointly conducted by NEMA, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Nigerian Red Cross Society, and relevant security agencies.
In a statement released Tuesday night by the Head of NEMA’s Press Unit, Manzo Ezekiel, the Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, announced the activation of the Agency’s North Central Zonal Office. Zonal Director, Mr. Aliyu Waziri, has been tasked with overseeing the distribution of relief items in coordination with Benue SEMA.
Mrs. Umar also directed a more detailed assessment of the affected population and infrastructure to determine the need for additional support.
The approved relief items include both food and non-food supplies, such as parboiled rice, maize, spaghetti, vegetable oil, seasoning cubes, tomato paste, iodised salt, and mattresses.
In an update via its official X handle (@nemanigeria), the agency disclosed that casualty figures remain unclear due to volatile security conditions and limited access to affected areas. Ongoing rescue and recovery operations are expected to provide more accurate data.
The statement partly read: “Following a distress alert, the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were deployed to the scene. Tragically, two soldiers and one NSCDC officer were killed in an ambush while responding to the incident in Daudu. Forty-six people sustained injuries, and 20 later died in the hospital. Medical teams are urgently requesting blood donations to support emergency care.”
The Benue State Police Command confirmed the attack and reported that several assailants were neutralized during a gun battle with security forces.
Relief efforts are ongoing, with NEMA, SEMA, the UNHCR, the Red Cross, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) coordinating support at a newly established Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp located at the Makurdi International Market.
As of the latest report, over 3,000 individuals have been displaced. Data shows 1,069 households comprising 6,527 people, including 1,768 females, 759 males, 657 children under 18, 1,870 adults above 18, 252 lactating mothers, 82 pregnant women, and 91 elderly persons.
Authorities have emphasized the urgent need for food, clean water, medical supplies, and non-food items, as humanitarian efforts continue to support the growing number of displaced residents.