Flood: Benue monarchs threaten curses over diversion of materials

The Council of Traditional Rulers in Benue State has threatened to invoke the wrath of the gods on anybody who connived to divert relief items meant for victims of the flood disaster in the state.

Chairman of the Council, Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse, handed the threat on Tuesday when he led his members to sympathise with the flood victims at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp housed in the yet to be used International Market in Makurdi.

“As traditional rulers, we represent the accentors of our land and we are not happy with the calamity that had befell the state, though it is a natural disaster. Therefore, we warn that everything (relief material) that comes to the camp must be distributed fairly to those truly affected persons. Failure to do so, or an attempt by anyone to divert those things, we shall swiftly invoke the gods against such person(s),” he warned.

Ayatse disclosed that among other things, the council donated 120 bags of rice to caution the effect of hardship on the IDPs.

He advised the authority responsible for the distribution of the relief items to ensure that the materials were equitably distributed to the real victims of the flood across the affected 21 LGAs of the state.

The royal father disclosed that the warning became imperative as it had come to the knowledge of his council that the people who were actually affected by the flood were not the ones benefitting from the relief materials.