Sokoto IDP camp: Obi raises alarm over overcrowding

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has raised concerns over the conditions at the Ramin Kura Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camp in Sokoto State, saying as many as 10 displaced persons are forced to share a room.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, raised the concerns on Wednesday in a statement posted on his X handle after visiting the camp as part of his two-day engagement in Sokoto State.

He said the camp, located in Sokoto North Local Government Area, houses more than 1,000 internally displaced persons, many of whom live in makeshift shelters and thatched rooms.

According to him, some of the rooms accommodate up to 10 people, while the camp also lacks adequate toilet facilities, a primary healthcare centre and a basic school for children.

Obi said the situation required urgent government intervention, urging the Federal Government and relevant agencies to address the immediate needs of the displaced persons while tackling the insecurity that forced them from their communities.

He said the ultimate objective should be to restore security and create conditions that would enable the displaced persons to return safely to their ancestral homes.

He said his visit to Ramin Kura marked his 12th visit to an IDP camp across Nigeria, adding that he would continue to support displaced Nigerians.

Obi said, “As long as even one Nigerian lives in an IDP camp, we are all internally displaced.”

He urged the government to make temporary accommodation for displaced persons more habitable while addressing the underlying security challenges responsible for their displacement.

Earlier during his Sokoto visit, Obi held consultations with groups across the state on insecurity, out-of-school children, poverty, youth unemployment and drug abuse.

He said the discussions reinforced the need for urgent intervention in the Ramin Kura camp and other areas affected by displacement.

Obi also renewed his call for the President and other political office holders to spend their holidays within Nigeria, saying this would enable them to experience firsthand the hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians.

He said, “This is why I continue to say that the President’s and political office holders’ holidays must be within Nigeria, so that they can see first-hand the difficulties faced by these fellow Nigerians.”

Obi called on the government and relevant agencies to immediately address the pressing needs of the displaced persons and resolve the security challenges preventing their return to their communities.

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