Toto's Road to Recovery: Returnees Face Challenges Amidst Hope

(Fetching water from the only source in Ushido)

Toto Local Government Area occupies a special place in the history of Nasarawa State. It is close and gateway local government to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

 Economically it is a very vibrant local government with good vegetation and soil for farming, aside its abundant solid mineral deposits. Its economic viability has earned it a nickname “Samu naka” and civil servants, particularly staff of local government in 1990s lobbied to be posted to Toto as they have a lot of farm produce like yam, maize, melon, millet, fish, plantain, etc to carry to their families during weekends.

In terms of high profile appointments and contributions to Nasarawa State development and the country at large, Toto has given its modest contribution. The local government produced the first Chief Judge of the State and at a later time produced another one. It has also produced an Ambassador to Poland, Solicitor-General of FCT, Abuja. Both state chairmen and secretaries of political parties that ruled the state at different times, Rt. Hon. Speaker of the State Assembly. Presently Secretary to the State Government is from Toto.

It was a local government laid on solid foundation and its materials and human resources as blocks in building it. Unfortunately Toto has lost its glory as incessant crises have dug its path and its foundation greatly shaken.

(The only source of drinking water in Ushido )          

Down memory lane, 8th May, 1986, Toto witnessed a civil disturbance that attracted a front page story of the defunct “New Nigeria Newspaper”. Since the 1986 crisis, it has been one crisis to the other and as the crises continues its devastating effect multiplies. Twice, one of the warring factions in the crisis had to leave Toto to take refuge elsewhere.

Today, the good news is the internally displaced people are back to Toto. Like Monday 3rd July, 2000 and Monday, 10th February, 2025, have again gone down in history as the day the Bassa people and other displaced persons returned to Toto.

How are the returned displaced persons faring? Our reporter has been following the trend of events on the return of the displaced persons to Toto. In most cases he gives eye-witness of the happenings in the area.

In Toto axis people have returned to Muanya, Sardauna, Mateni and Gbonokwo and have started clearing farmlands for the raining season. In all these areas visited the streams which are their main source of water for domestic use have dried up. The people are in dire need of good drinking water.

(Animals drink from the same source of water)

In Gbonokwo their source of water is being shared with animals and most of them pass their nights under mango trees. Only two houses have been raised in the entire community, though some people take shelter in a dilapidated primary school building.

Danjuma Daudu, a resident of Gbonokwo village shared a horrifying experience; pointing to a valley which is part of his farmland he has cleared. He said “in this valley, I met skeleton of human beings, I had to clear the bones and bury them. It is indeed terrible to have this experience”.

The people defecate in an open space for lack of toilets. The situation in Gbonokwo community is almost the same situation the returnees are facing in their respective villages.

In Ushido village, quite a reasonable number of displaced people have returned, engaged in farming activities like planting of maize, melon and transplanting of pepper.

Their only source of drinking water is a contaminated stream. All other sources of water have also dried up. The residents of Ushido go as far as Abaji Area Council in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to get good drinking water.

Our reporter who was recently at Ushido village met the villagers and Fulanis together in a meeting discussing crucial issues including security issue, how to avoid farmers/herders clashes as the farming season sets in and preservation of their source of water among other burning issues. Both the Fulanis and the natives were seen interacting freely and learning how to speak each other’s dialect.

In Ugya, life is less stressful as the administration of the Executive Chairman, Pharmacist Ahmed Baba Yahaya has drilled boreholes for the returnees and provided some other social amenities.

A young farmer, Emmanuel Philip Goje was bitten by a poisonous snake while on his farm at Ugya and was rushed to Abaji General Hospital in Abuja for treatment. Goje told our reporter that he has spent over N500,000 (five hundred thousand) Naira on treatment and the local government chairman, Pharmacist Ahmed Baba Yahaya contributed money for his treatment and feeding while in the hospital.

In Katakpa, people are fast coming together in unity. Katakpa market has reopened, both economic and social activities are picking up. Recently the local government chairman was in Sere – Katakpa and launched the 2025 farming season