Over 40,000 displaced Bassa people yet to return home – National Leader

NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia

A National Leader of the Bassa ethnic group in Nasarawa State, Samson Daudu has debunked claims that his people have returned home after the communal war with the Ebira ethnic nationality in the State, that led to their displacement in 2019.

Daudu made the clarification at a press conference he addressed in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, on Tuesday.

Daudu said “The intention to have returned Bassa back to their homeland would have been very good. But we are concerned about people, who are very good at misleading the entire public. Our concerns are, number one, over 99.9 percent of Bassa have not returned home, perhaps, they were disenchanted by the way the home return was handled by some people who think they can relate wrongly, because the people who have the intention of bringing back the Bassa have good intentions, but the person who think they can come in-between were giving wrong information.”

He blamed some people he did not name for meddlesomeness that has led to disenchantment and misinformation.

He said the activities of people who lied about the return of the displaced community to their place of origin has caused some problems.

He therefore challenged those concerned with the resettlement to “go down to our villages and see whether they will see the Bassa back in their homes. We say 99.9 have yet to return, because maybe one percent may have gone back.

He noted that the people who are displaced and are currently taking shelter across Nigeria are anxiously “Waiting government pronouncement regarding their own return. Once that is done, every one that is Bassa will return.”

Their return, Dudu said, has become imperatively urgent, as the farming season is underway and most of those displaced would love to take advantage of the rainfall to cultivate their farms.

“The bulk of the Bassas are yearning to return home, moreso, as we are already in the month of May, getting to June. The bulk of them are farmers and the only months remaining for them now are very few. So, if there is a way government can hasten up, to make this pronouncement where Bassa can come back and begin life afresh. As farmers, they need to clear some bushes and begin to plant.

The National Leader highlighted the point that those displaced are currently taking refuge in Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Niger, the Federal Capital Territory and of course other parts of Lafia.

He appealed to the government, nongovernmental organisations working with displaced person and other charities to come to their aid, so that his people can return home en masse.

He also called on politicians from the area who nurse political ambitions to ensure that they dish out only the correct information and not mortgage general wellbeing of the people in furtherance of their ambitions.