By VERONICA DARIYA

Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have continued to brave rising transport fares and security concerns to travel home for the Christmas celebration.

The travellers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Bwari, Abuja, that Christmas represented family identity and was a non-negotiable tradition.

At the Peace Mass Transit Park, Mr Mathew Okah, said that in spite of financial pressure and security fears, he would still travel to celebrate with his family in the South-East.

“I go home for Christmas every year because my family is in the East and I have been working in Abuja throughout the year.

“I travel not just to see them, but also to rest. There is no place like home.

“Family time is sacred for some of us; you get to see your aged parents, take home something to celebrate with them, and reunite with extended family members,” he said.

Okah added that travelling home also gave him the opportunity to fulfil cultural and communal obligations.

Another traveller, Mrs Victoria Jacob, who was travelling with her children, described Christmas travel as a necessity.

“I always feel like I am missing a part of life if I stay back in Abuja during the festivities,” she said.

Although she described the cost of transportation as painful, Jacob said people accepted the doubling or tripling of fares because it was a yearly sacrifice.

On security concerns, she said: “We have survived worse situations. God will protect us. We just have to avoid night travel and unsafe routes while we pray and trust God for safety.”

Meanwhile, a resident of Bwari, Mr Kelechi John, said travelling home every Christmas was not a necessity for him.

He cited Insecurity, financial strain, and work commitments as reasons for staying back, adding that some people travelled due to cultural pressure or fear of being judged for “forgetting home.”

This, he said, often led people to travel even when they could not afford it, resulting in avoidable discomfort.

“We’ll stay back this year. Let’s stay alive first; the village will still be there. We will plan when fares drop and the rush is less,” he said.

A NAN correspondent observed that commercial bus fares from Bwari to the southern and eastern parts of the country ranged from N60,000 to N80,000 per passenger.

Meanwhile fares to Kaduna and other neighbouring northern towns ranged between N8,000 and N10,000. (NAN)