Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, Saturday visited Niger Republic where he met with about two hundred thousand Nigerians who fled from Malamfatori, Damasak, Baga, Abadam, Mobbar, Kukawa and Monguno local government areas in northern part of Borno State.
The residents left Nigeria following massive attacks by Boko Haram insurgents that led to the takeover of their communities.
The four affected headquarters have however been liberated by joint muliti national forces in separate rescue missions.
Troops from the Republic of Chad reclaimed Malamfatori, their counterparts from Niger liberated Damasak while Nigerian troops reclaimed Baga and Monguno towns on different days, about two weeks ago.
The citizens who fled from the four local government headquarters and surrounding villages crossed into different parts of Niger Republic, Cameroon and Chad.
In Niger Republic, citizens including nursing mothers, aged women and men, young men and women and thousands of children below ages of ten, took refuge in border towns of Bosso, Tumur, Kanchandi, Balanguwa, Shettimari, Kaulaha, Barwa, Chukujani, Yabi, Malamkauri, all in Diffa province which is the closest State to Nigeria through border areas in northern parts of Borno.
Some of the fleeing residents have spent four months in Niger Republic following attacks on villages they lived. They fled in different groups and times depending on when their comunities were attacked.
Governor Shettima had about two months ago ordered the evacuation of fleeing citizens from Chad and Cameroon back to Maiduguri in Borno State and they have since been temporarily settled at some of the thirteen Government controlled camps established in Maiduguri and managed by the State and Federal Governments through their emergency management agencies.
The Governor on Thursday drove to Niger in convoy with council chairmen and stakeholders of Abadam, Mobbar, Kukuwa and Monguno local government areas.
The convoy crisscrossed Damaturu, Banbangida, Bayamari, Gaidam before entering Mainosoruwa in Diffa province of Niger Republic.
Governor Shettima in company of the Governor of Diffa, Yacuba Usmana Gawo passed through sand dunes to a refugee camp in Gagamari, on the outskirts of Diffa town, where he met displaced persons mostly from Mobbar local government area.
The fleeing citizens who went on a wild jubilation on citing the Governor and their kinsmen were assured that their welfare would be improved.
Shettima thanked the Government of Niger especially the Governor of Diffa for opening doors for Borno citizens to take refuge at a desperate time.
Shettima said the government and the people of Borno State would forever remain indebted to the Government of Niger for offering protection and support to citizens of Borno.
The Governor informed the displaced persons that he was setting up a Task Force on Evaluation, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Re-integration of Insurgency Victims with the mandate of assessing safety and damages in all liberated territories.
Also ongoing are reconstruction works to ensure basic necessities of life such as water, healthcare facilities, access to food and shelter are made available in addition to fumigating all areas to guarantee health security given possible decomposition of bodies.
The Governor announced to the happy though traumatized citizens, that all their four local government areas have been reclaimed by the multi-national troops from participating countries of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.
He announced a special welfare package for the displaced persons in cash that wasn’t disclosed but handed to camp officials.
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