Musa visits IDPs in Plateau

Credit/AIT
Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, on Saturday visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Mangu and Bokkos local government areas in Plateau State.

Speaking of his visit, the former Leicester City forward said that seeing a prominent person like him would give people hope.

“When I visited the governor (Caleb Mutfwang) I told him I would come to visit where all these things are happening because most of the people being used (terrorists) are youths,” Musa said.

“So for me, I decided to come because when they see someone like me it gives them hope that they can become someone tomorrow.“

The former CSKA Moscow star said that he hopes to engage the youths in the area through football so that they can unite for a common cause.

He said, “When a young person like me encourages the young ones, nobody will be in the street to take up arms to injure someone.“

He also called on his colleagues to emulate the gesture not only in their state but other places in Nigeria.

“I would like to call on the rest of my colleagues to also do a lot of things like this, not only where we come from but let’s do this in other states because they have to hear words of encouragement from young people like us.“

Meanwhile, before leaving the camps Musa handed football gifts to the children who expressed happiness.

The Guardian reports that on December 24, 2023, gunmen attacked 25 communities in three local government areas of Plateau State, which led to the death of hundreds and the razing of about 221 houses.

According to a report on reliefweb.int, by mid-February, health authorities in Plateau reported 865 people killed, including 160 children.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) documented 215 people injured, and 15,313 individuals displaced to at least 7 IDP camps and numerous host communities in Bokkos LGA/Plateau State and Dass/Bauchi/Toro/Tafawa Balewa LGAs in Bauchi State.

Those who fled to Bauchi State all hailed from Mangu LGA. By the end of May, some IDPs continued to reside in camp settings.

These attacks followed earlier farmer-herder clashes in April 2023.

Also, IOM recorded food, shelter, non-food items, health, mental health, and psycho-social support (MHPSS) needs for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Plateau State, as well as a lack of food and non-food items for IDPs in Bauchi State.

The multi-sector initial rapid needs assessment (MIRA) recorded security, food, health and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as priority needs.

During a UNICEF field visit in February, displaced adults and children respectively emphasised that they were keen to return home and to their schools as soon as the security situation allowed.

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