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John Adams, Minna
Over 10,000 people who were displaced from their homes following onslaught by bandits in some communities in Niger state have cried out to the government to allow them return to their ancestral homes.
Following attacks and invasion of the communities in the state by bandits and kidnappers resulting in loss of innocent lives and property, over 50 communities across three local Government Areas (LGA) of Rafi, Shiroro and Munya were forced to abandon their homes and the people are being kept at over six Internally displaced people (IDPs) camps across three LGAs.
Although the people were full of praises to the government for the provision of relief materials, including food, cloths medicine and other essential things, they said there was nowhere like home. They, therefore ,urged the Niger state government to expedite action in securing their communities to facilitate their return to their ancestral homes.
One of the displaced persons with his two wives and seven children at Kuta IDPs camp in Shiroro LGA, Malam Audu Makeri told our correspondent that even though they were not lacking anything in the camp, “there is no place like home, we want to return to our villages”.
Malam Makeri said: “Now that the rains are fast approaching, we have to go back to start preparing for this year’s planting season. You know we lost everything to bandits and kidnappers and we don’t have anything again”.
While appreciating the support government has rendered to them since their relocation, he disclosed that if not for government quick intervention, lives would have been meaningless. According to him: “Even though we know that the government has tried for us, we don’t lack anything much, but we can not remain here forever. Let them help us provide enough security so that we can go and continue our farming”.
Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Mr Ibrahim Ahmed Inga, said, the government understood the frustration of staying away from homes: “their return home will largely depend on clearance from the government and the security agents who are making everything possible to ensure peace return to the area.
“It is not unusual for the IDPs to seek to return to their villages, normally they will always feel home sick, but this does not mean that they are lacking anything in the camp. The decision for them to return lies with the government which is in charge of security of the whole state, our own responsibility as an agency is to make life liveable for them which we have done religiously through the government support”.
Inga appreciated the IDPs for comporting themselves in peaceful and orderly manners, “their hosts have not complained about any of them”.
