At least 16 persons have been bitten by snakes across various Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Benue State.
Our correspondent reports that the incidents happened in three camps within the past two weeks – last week in August and first week of September – this year.
Sir James Iorpuu, Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (Benue-SEMA), disclosed the figure during a press briefing in Makurdi, on Wednesday.
He informed journalists during the briefing, held ahead of the monthly relief distribution to displaced persons in the state, that none of the victims died due to the prompt medical attention they received.
“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.”
“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.
Iorpuu further mentioned the camps where the incidents occurred to include, Daudu 1 and 2 camps in Guma LGA and Ichuwa at North Bank in Makurdi LGA, adding, “we didn’t loose 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 N1million.”
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