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From Joe Effiong, Uyo
Thirty-four stranded natives of Akwa Ibom State, victims of the escalating banditry and insurgency in some parts of Katsina State, have been successfully evacuated and brought home.
The evacuees, who arrived in Uyo on Monday, were received by the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Ini Adiakpan, on behalf of the state government, at the Women Development Centre, Uyo.
‘The attention of the state government was drawn to a viral video on social media where some displaced Akwa Ibom indigenes in Katsina State, were calling for help, because their houses, shops and other sources of livelihood were either vandalised or burnt by bandits. So the state government immediately ordered for their evacuation and safe return to the state,’ Dr Adiakpan said.
‘The governor has made adequate arrangements for them to be received. Relief materials will also be released to them, and we will then begin to reintegrate all of them with members of their families immediately.’
The President of Akwa Ibom Community in Katsina and a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Federal College of Education, Katsina State, Chief Effiom Williams, who recounted the origin of the incident said: ‘I got a distress call from our members in Batsari, Danja, Dan Musa and other LGAs that their houses and shops were being attacked, and I quickly mobilised them into safety in my house.
‘When some of them arrived, they had nothing left because they had lost everything to the crises; so the Community had to raise money in order to get them clothes and other effects. We later reached out to the state government for assistance. We are very happy that the Governor has intervened.’
Also speaking, Elizabeth Emmanuel, a returnee, who hails from Ikono LGA but resided in Jibia LGA in Katsina, said her shop and home were razed down by the arsonists, who attacked their community at night, killing several people in their sleep.
According to Emmanuel: ‘We got back home and started hearing loud shooting at night, and we all started running for our dear lives. All I could take out from our house are my children and a few clothes. Luckily for us, we were escorted to the IDP camp by soldiers.’
She narrated that they were, however, linked to the President of the Akwa Ibom Community in Katsina by a fellow Akwa Ibomite in the camp.
She expressed satisfaction with the evacuation process and thanked the state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, for the timely intervention.
Another victim, a male and a cobbler who did not mention his name, said his source of livelihood was destroyed in the attack. He added that he was only lucky to have escaped with members of his family to Katsina metropolis, from where they got information about the interventions of the community for the affected members.
