No fewer than 16 people have been bitten by snakes across various Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Benue State over the past two weeks.
The incidents occurred between the last week of August and the first week of September 2024, across three camps in the state.
Sir James Iorpuu, Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (Benue-SEMA), disclosed this during a press briefing in Makurdi on Wednesday. The briefing was held ahead of the agency’s monthly relief distribution for displaced persons in the state.
Iorpuu revealed that no fatalities were recorded as all victims received prompt medical attention.
“In recent months, Benue-SEMA has faced the tragic challenge of snake bites among our IDP populations. I am pleased to report that we have successfully treated over 16 cases across various camps, thanks to the swift action of our health teams and the support from our partners,” he stated.
Iorpuu announced that all IDP camps, including the Ikyogen refugee camp, have been fumigated in order to mitigate the rising cases of snake bite.
However, he appealed for additional medical supplies and support from both local and international partners to prevent further incidents.
“As a follow up to reduce the occurrence of the prevalence of the snake bites, all IDP camps including Ikyogen refugee camp has been fumigated. However, we still require additional medical supplies and support to prevent further tragedies. I urge our partners, both local and international, to continue supporting us in this crucial area,” he said.
He stated that the affected camps include Daudu 1 and 2 camps in Guma Local Government Area (LGA) and Ichuwa camp at North Bank in Makurdi LGA. “We didn’t lose any life on account of the snake bites. They were treated and discharged. We only spent so much on the treatments as in one of the cases, we expended over N1m,” Lorpuu added.