Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has commenced the disbursement of N1.5 billion in humanitarian assistance to 1,571 households affected by violent attacks across five local government areas of the state.
The intervention comprises N1 billion donated by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Initiative and an additional N500 million provided by the Plateau State Government.
The beneficiaries were identified from affected communities in Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, Mangu and Riyom Local Government Areas.
The state government said the beneficiaries were selected through an identification and verification process involving the affected local governments and other stakeholders. The exercise considered household information, losses suffered and relevant documentation to ensure the funds reached genuine victims.
Speaking during the disbursement ceremony, Governor Mutfwang said the financial intervention could not replace lives lost or erase the trauma suffered by families, but would provide immediate relief and help affected households begin rebuilding their lives.
He assured beneficiaries that his administration would ensure the intervention reached those genuinely affected and reiterated the government’s commitment to creating conditions for internally displaced persons to safely return to their ancestral communities.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, who attended the ceremony, commended the First Lady for the donation and the Plateau Government for providing additional funds.
Yilwatda urged beneficiaries to use the assistance to rebuild their livelihoods through farming, small businesses and other income-generating activities.
The state government said a second phase of the intervention would focus on community recovery, with affected communities expected to identify priority needs through their respective local government councils.
The disbursement comes amid renewed security concerns in parts of Plateau State, following fresh attacks that have prompted the government to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu LGAs.
