Displaced members of Iggah Village in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Friday returned home amidst jubilation after fleeing the village in February last year.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the villagers were forced to leave their houses following communal crisis that engulfed the area on February 2, 2014.
A former Special Assistant to Governor Umaru Al-Makura, Alhaji Idris Bala, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Iggah, commended the returnees for deciding to return home.
Bala advised them to live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations.
He said: “It is the role of every stakeholder to preach peace, unity and tolerance as no nation or society can develop in an atmosphere of rancour and confusion.
“The security challenges facing our state and other parts of the country has affected our lives and socio-economic development of the country negatively.
“I want to call on the returnees, their neighbours and other Nigerians to embrace peace and eschew violence to achieve speedy socio-economic development.”
Bala also commended the state government for creating the enabling environment for the return of the displaced persons.
Nuhu Agbo, one of the returnees, thanked God for saving his life during the attack on the village although many people were killed.
Agbo called on the government and other wealthy persons to assist the returnees with building materials to enable them fix their houses.
Another returnee, Jamila Nuhu, called on the people of the area to forgive and forget the past and embrace each other to give peace a chance.
Nuhu said: “God that created us did not make a mistake.
“He created us to live with each other as brothers and sisters.
“People should know that no religion or tribe preaches violence.
“We should learn how to address our grievances.”
Others thanked the state government for making the environment conducive for their return.
NAN.