American missionary accuses Benue govt of attempting to sabotage his plans of rebuilding Yelwata village

An American missionary has accused the Benue State Government of deliberately frustrating his efforts to assist in the reconstruction of Yelwata village, which was recently devastated by a violent bandit attack.

Yelwata, a community in Benue State, was attacked by armed bandits in June, resulting in the deaths of many residents and the destruction of homes and essential infrastructure. Following the incident, the missionary said he stepped forward to support recovery efforts, particularly the rebuilding of the community’s local market.

According to him, his plans were halted after state officials informed him that the government intended to handle the project independently. He claimed he was instructed to suspend all construction activities and wait for official building plans, which were promised within a few days. However, despite repeated follow-ups over several weeks, the plans were never delivered.

The missionary further alleged that the government later presented a proposal for a market project valued at approximately ₦300 million. He said this was significantly higher than his own proposed budget, which he estimated at between ₦50 million and ₦60 million to rebuild the market and other key facilities.

Questioning the justification for such an amount, he argued that similar markets in rural communities—and even in major Nigerian cities—are rarely constructed at such a cost. He expressed concern that funds intended for victims of violence and vulnerable communities were being mismanaged and were not reaching those who urgently need assistance.

Emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability, the missionary stated that humanitarian aid should be administered with integrity and proper oversight, regardless of religious or ethnic differences. He warned that the failure to do so undermines trust and prolongs the suffering of affected communities.

“I made my intentions clear to the humanitarian commissioner and explained what I wanted to do,” he said. “I was told I was not allowed to build the market because the government had its own plans.

 They promised to send those plans, but after weeks, nothing came. Instead, I received a video of a ₦300 million market proposal. I could rebuild everything for a fraction of that cost. I cannot be part of a process where funds meant for suffering people are not being used transparently or effectively.”

The Benue State Government has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.