The Borno State Government, on Monday, constituted a committee to resettle all displaced persons back to the Abadam Local Government Area on the fringes of Lake Chad by November 27, 2021.
The area has been deserted with any human being living there since Boko Haram insurgents destroyed and displaced the entire local government seven years back.
According to the state Commissioner for Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Resettlement, Mustapha Gubio, the IDPs to be relocated are those taking refuge in Niger Republic, Kosso, Gagarin Dogo and Tumbur.
“If you can recall, we resettled all displaced persons from Abadam to different communities other than their ancestral homes. Those resettled are IDPs within Maiduguri metropolis camps. Those to be relocated now are IDPs living in Bosso, Diffa in Niger Republic, as well as Gagarin Dogo, Kosso and Tumbur. They will be returned to Malamfatori in this first phase,” he stated.
Governor Babagana Zulum, while inaugurating the committee headed by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Bukar Talba, instructed them to expedite action on the reconstruction of communities in the local government in order to allow for the complete restoration of civil authority and basic social amenities.
“I charge you to ensure the provision of food items, water, health facilities and education facilities, police post and adequate security cover for the returnees to be able to return to their farmlands without any fear or intimidation,” he stated.
Zulum also confirmed that the displaced people resettled to other communities were doing well in their new places of abode and reiterated the determination of the state government to close down all IDP camps in the metropolis by the end of the year.
