Insecurity In The North: Igbos Flee North En-masse

[emezico]

IGBO living in some Northern states where many Christians had been attacked by members of the Boko Haram sect are now returning en-masse to their home-states, abandoning most of their belongings.

The returnees, who have been trooping home since the past few weeks, said they were residing in Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger and Borno states where they had lived and conducted their businesses for decades.

They added that they were forced to return to their native-states because of incessant violent attacks on their businesses and families by the Boko Haram sect.

Vanguard encountered some of the returnees, mostly women and children, at the Ninth Mile Corner Motor park, yesterday, while trying to board vehicles to their respective homes.

A native of Umuoji in Anambra State, Mr. Lawrence Okeke, who had resided in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital, where he sold vehicle spare parts for several years, said he decided to evacuate his family to his home-state following the state of insecurity in Lafia.

He said having suffered huge losses in the last sectarian violence, which he was yet to recover from, it would be fool- hardy for him to remain there, hence his decision to evacuate his family to his home-town.

He said: "I have been a trader in Lafia for several years and we have lived peacefully in the town until the last sectarian violence which rendered many of us homeless. We decided to stay back, but threats of fresh violence have continued.

"Most Igbo in that town have been evacuating their families back home. Some with strong investments there decided to stay back but having lost my trade, it will be unwise for me to remain in the North," Okeke said.