Dickson Tarkighir, the House of Representatives member for Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency in Benue State, revealed that 50% of his constituents have been living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps for a decade due to relentless herdsmen attacks. Speaking to Punch Newspapers on August 24, 2025, Tarkighir described his constituency as the epicenter of the herdsmen-farmer crisis in North Central Nigeria, with ongoing violence preventing residents from returning to their farms. He highlighted the devastating impact, including delayed marriages, joblessness, and destroyed livelihoods, as displaced farmers face repeated attacks when attempting to cultivate their lands.
The lawmaker criticized the federal government’s inadequate response, noting that despite President Bola Tinubu’s orders for military deployment following a 2023 attack in Yelwata, Guma LGA, security remains insufficient, with two recent killings reported. Tarkighir called for the establishment of Forward Operation Bases in affected communities to curb the violence. He also detailed his interventions, including a scholarship program benefiting 500 students in 2025 at ₦50,000 each and support for 50 couples through business training, driven by the dire needs in his constituency. The crisis, rooted in land disputes and nomadic herding, has displaced over 1.5 million in Benue, according to a 2024 study, with camps like the Mega IDP Camp in Gbajimba struggling with overcrowding and inadequate aid.
Tarkighir’s strained relationship with Governor Hyacinth Alia surfaced, as he accused the state government of neglecting security logistics, a claim refuted by Alia’s aide, Tersoo Kula, who cited the provision of 600 motorbikes and 100 Hilux trucks to security agencies. The lawmaker urged both federal and state governments to prioritize returning IDPs to their ancestral homes through enhanced security and land reclamation, warning that the crisis threatens Benue’s role as Nigeria’s “Food Basket.
