At least 12 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have reportedly suffered snake bites at camps in Agagbe community of Gwer West Local Government Area in Benue State.
One of the displaced persons, Terna Ibaah, told our correspondent on Sunday that the latest victim, a 14-year-old boy identified as Chagu Terhemen, was bitten on Friday while heading for the farm with his father in Gaambe Ushin Council Ward.
Ibaah said the teenager, who hails from Tse Abian in Sengev Council Ward, was only treated with traditional medicine after the incident, noting that his condition worsened on Sunday afternoon as he began convulsing.
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“The fear of losing the boy made us raise an alarm because medical personnel only visit the camp between Monday and Thursday,” he said.
He further disclosed that between January and August, this year, 12 IDPs had suffered snake bites in Agagbe, though no deaths had been recorded so far.
Ibaah alleged neglect by officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in the camp, positing that the camp manager refused to provide medical help for the boy because he was not residing inside the camp.
“The camp manager knows that due to congestion, many IDPs live with host communities. The victim is a registered IDP with number 81XO1649,” Ibaah insisted.
He listed five camps in Agagbe to include RCM Primary School, Sisters’ Convent, St. Francis Secondary School, Old Police Station, and Adzequa Store, stressing that they were all overcrowded.
When contacted, SEMA’s Information Officer, Tema Ager, told journalists in Makurdi that the agency had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where registered IDPs could be taken for treatment.
“As long as the victim is a registered IDP, he should be taken to the Teaching Hospital for treatment,” Ager said.