According to Vanguard News on Friday May 22, 2026, residents of the Mobile Police (Mopol) Barracks in Makurdi, Benue State, have raised concerns over what they described as years of severe water scarcity, alleging that hundreds of families living in the facility depend largely on a nearby stream for survival.…....
The barracks, said to be one of the largest police residential facilities in the state and home to nearly 400 families, has become the centre of complaints from residents who say the absence of running water has turned daily life into a struggle.
Several women living in the barracks narrated how they wake up as early as 2 a.m. to fetch water from a stream, especially during the dry season when supply becomes even more difficult.
One of the residents, Madam Franca, a mother of six who has lived in the barracks for about five years, said the situation has remained unchanged since her arrival.
“Since we came to this barracks about five years ago, we have not seen water running here. There is a borehole, but it broke down several years ago,” she said.
According to her, the challenge goes beyond fetching water as residents living on upper floors must carry heavy containers up staircases daily.
“We do this every day by trekking long distances to fetch water and climbing the stairs to take it into our flats. By the time you are done, you are completely exhausted,” she lamented.
She further expressed disappointment that families of police officers who serve across the country under difficult conditions are themselves facing harsh living realities at home.
Another resident identified as Mummy Grace, who has lived in the barracks for about three years, said the stream remains the only dependable water source for residents.
“If not for this stream, how would we have survived in Mopol 13 Barracks? Since we came here, I have never seen water run in the toilets or kitchen,” she stated.
She added that children are often forced to assist their parents in fetching water, a situation she said affects school attendance.
“Sometimes our children become too exhausted after fetching water and carrying it upstairs that they cannot go to school,” she said.
A wife of an Assistant Superintendent of Police, who requested anonymity, also raised security concerns, noting that women and children are exposed to possible attacks while going to fetch water in the early hours of the day.
“Our husbands are crime fighters, yet our families are left vulnerable. Women and children go out before dawn to search for water. It is not safe,” she said.
Residents further revealed that makeshift cement rings had been placed around parts of the stream to ease water collection during periods of scarcity.
