By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti

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The Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ekiti State Command,  Mr. Olatunde Fayemi, has lamented over  increase in the numbers of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.

Fayemi who described the trend as deplorable said: “Nigeria currently has an aggregate of 2.7m IDPs spread across the  Northeast, Northwest and NorthCentral of Niger State.

He described the numbers as “outrageous, worrisome and disturbing,”  therefore expedient for the country to boost its  conflict resolution mechanism and  fight against social ills that were triggering crises , drug abuse and sectarian attacks.

The Ekiti NSCDC helmsman spoke in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday at a press conference marking the International Civil Defence Organisation Day 2022, with the theme : “Civil Defence and Management of Displaced Population in Face of Disaster and Crisis: Role of Volunteers and  Fight Against Pandemics”.

In commemoration of the celebration, Fayemi led NSCDC men and officers round Ado Ekiti metropolis to offer  medical services, clear drainages and perform traffic control, as part of their contributions to nationhood.

“These are people that are displaced by Boko Haram invasion , bandits, kidnappers , flooding and many other natural and human activities that are avoidable.

“All these persons  need  the resources of volunteers to take care of them as government alone cannot solve it. We are all worried at this high number of refugees and we have to do more to prevent further escalation”.

On the recurring fire incidence in IDPs camps, Fayemi said they were not intentional and that the federal government was fortifying the Federal  Fire Services and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to curtail such.

The Commandant  stated that the kind of  volunteerism needed by IDPs was that of social services, care and donations, that can give them the best of care and protection as legitimate citizens .

“NSCDC started as volunteer organisation before we were regularised in 2003 through  the Act of National Assembly.

“Giving care to the IDPs require all of us coming together with good sacrificial spirit to take care of them properly. The public must make more impacts and commitments in their services to humanity”.

Fayemi described Ekiti as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria, saying it has no permanent IDPs, except those that were temporarily displaced by flooding and fire incidents, whom he said  had been quickly  resettled by the state government.