Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has decried the worsening insecurity and mass displacement of Nigerians in parts of the country, urging the Federal Government to secure affected communities and enable displaced residents to return home.
Obi made the call after visiting an internally displaced persons camp in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where he said more than 500 displaced Nigerians were taking refuge.
The visit came a day after his delegation was reportedly prevented from proceeding to Yelwata in Benue State, where it had planned to meet displaced persons and families affected by recent attacks.
Obi said the situation he encountered in Mangu was disturbing, claiming that more than 45,000 people had been displaced and over 20 communities sacked by terrorists.
He said the affected Nigerians wanted to return to their ancestral homes, rebuild their communities, cultivate their farms and resume their livelihoods in peace.
“As I have always maintained, as long as there is one displaced Nigerian, all Nigerians are displaced,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor called on the government to step up security operations in the affected areas and restore the confidence of residents.
He said the protection of lives and property should not be determined by a citizen’s ethnicity, religion, location or political affiliation.
According to him, displaced Nigerians should not be left to languish in camps without a clear pathway to returning to their communities.
“Our displaced citizens must not become forgotten Nigerians. They are citizens of our country whose homes, livelihoods and futures have been disrupted,” he said.
Obi urged the authorities to provide the security and support required for the displaced persons to return home safely and rebuild their lives.
He also provided what he described as modest assistance to families at the Mangu camp as a demonstration of solidarity with the displaced population.
The NDC candidate said the insecurity crisis underscored the need for a Nigeria where citizens could live, work, farm and raise their families without fear.
“The New Nigeria we seek must be a country where every citizen can live, work, farm, raise a family and pursue their dreams in peace and security,” he said.
Obi ended his statement by reiterating his campaign message that “A New Nigeria is possible.”
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