After relocating over a thousand internally displaced persons from Abadam to other host communities in Borno State, the state government on Monday constituted a committee to resettle all displaced persons back to Abadam Local Government Area on the fringes of the lake Chad by November 27th, 2021.
Abadam LGA has been deserted and has been without human existence since the Boko Haram insurgents destroyed and displaced the entire local government about seven years back.
According to the commissioner for rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement in Borno, 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, Gagarin Dogo, Kosso and Tumbur.
“They will be returned to Malamfatori in this first phase,” Mustapha Gubio noted.
Earlier in his remarks, Governor Babagana Zulum, while inaugurating the committee headed by the commissioner for agriculture, Bukar Talba, instructed them to expedite actions 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.
Prof. Zulum also confirmed that the displaced people resettled to other communities are doing well at their new places of abode while also confirming the determination of the state government to closedown all IDP camps in the metropolis by the end of 2021.
“I salute the gallantry of the military and other security formations in their efforts to provide adequate security to our people. I enjoin you to ensure sustained operation and deny the insurgents the breathing space on our land.
“After Abadam local government, we shall return IDPs to Gudumbali, Kerenuwa and other such communities and local government areas that have no human existence there,” Zulum added.
By Dogara Bitrus,
The Punch