A 14-Year-Old Internally Displaced Person (IDP), Chagu Terhemen, has died following a snake bite incident last Friday in Benue State.
The tragedy occurred when Terhemen accompanied his father to their farm at Tse Kyomke Mbapupuu, located in Gaambe Ushin Council Ward of Gwer West Local Government Area.
According to an eyewitness, Terna Ibaah, the boy initially resisted traditional treatment after the snake bite and later began to convulse.
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Ibaah revealed that on Monday, under the directive of the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), James Iorpuu, Terhemen was rushed to Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, for urgent medical attention.
Ibah said, “Benue State SEMA Boss, Mr. James Iorpuu, ordered that the boy, who was bitten by a snake, be taken to Benue State University Teaching Hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, he passed away last night, September 1, 2025, at the hospital.”
He further disclosed that snake bite incidents have been frequent among IDPs in Agagbe this year. “From January until now, we have recorded 12 victims of snake bites among IDPs in Agagbe. Fortunately, no deaths had been reported until now,” he explained.
According to Punch Online, just a day before the incident on August 31, Ibaah accused camp authorities of neglect, noting that overcrowding had forced some registered IDPs to seek shelter within host communities.
Confirming the agency’s intervention, Tema Ager, Information Officer of SEMA, stated that there is an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, to provide treatment for registered IDPs. “As long as the victim is a registered IDP, he should be allowed to be taken for treatment at the Teaching Hospital,” she affirmed.
The unfortunate death of Chagu Terhemen underscores the growing health challenges faced by displaced persons in Agagbe camps and highlights the urgent need for improved healthcare access and safety measures in overcrowded IDP settlements across Benue State.
