12 Benue IDPs suffer snake bite, 14-year-old victim cries for help

By Peter Duru

At least 12 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, at the Agagbe camp in Gwer West Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State have been bitten by snakes since the beginning of the year.

The latest victim is 14-year-old Chagu Terhemen, who was bitten by a snake last Friday is seeking medical attention.

A fellow IDP, Terna Ibaah, who on Sunday raised the alarm over the development in the Agagbe camp, lamented that the latest victim was in dire need of attention.

Ibaah said, “snake has biting 14 years old Chagu Terhemen who was displaced from his village, Tse Abian in Sengev Council Ward  of Gwer West LGA. The boy was going to the farm with his father, Kyomke mbapupuu in Gaambe Ushin Council Ward. when he was bitten by snake.”

He disclosed that the boy’s parents had resorted to traditional treatment, but there was no improvement in his condition, which deteriorated on Sunday afternoon.

“We are afraid of losing the boy that is why we are raising the alarm because medical personnel only visit the camps between Monday and Thursday,” he said.

On the frequency of snake bites in the camp, Ibaah said, “from January this year till now, we have recorded 12 victims in Agagbe among the IDPs, fortunately no one has died.”

He claimed that most of the victims were being treated with traditional medicine as they were not getting due attention from the authorities responsible.

“The Camp Manager said that they cannot treat him because he is not staying in the camp, but he knows that due to congestion in the camps some of the registered IDPs stay in the host community. The victim’s registration number is 81XO1649,” Ibaah said.

According to him, the five known camps in Agagbe are RCM Primary School, Sisters Convent, Saint Francis Secondary School, Old Police Station, and Adzequa Store, “and because of congestion people also stay in the host community.”

Contacted, the Information Officer of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, BSEMA, Tema Ager, disclosed that the agency had a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Makurdi, where the victim could be taken for treatment.

“If the victim is a registered IDP, he should be allowed to be taking for treatment at BSUTH. Benue SEMA has an MOU with the hospital where he can be taken for treatment immediately,” he said.

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