Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum announced that the roughly 200,000 refugees who fled to Niger Republic after the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2014 could be repatriated in May. The refugees are currently residing in Bosso, Tumur and Diffa, all located in Niger. Zulum made the statement on Tuesday at Malam‑Fatori, the headquarters of the Abadam Local Government Area and a key border crossing between Nigeria and Niger.
The governor said he was at Malam‑Fatori to observe the clearance process and to offer support to the military as they work toward his target of a safe, voluntary return of the refugees to their ancestral communities by May 2023. “We want the people to return next month (May) for normal activities to resume in this part of the state, insha’Allah. We will give all the necessary support to the Nigerian military to ensure this objective is achieved, insha’Allah,” he declared.
During his meeting with the commanding officer of the 68th Battalion, Col. A. Onyeukwu, Zulum called on the local population to remain resilient and cooperate fully with security operatives working to restore normalcy. He was accompanied by Engr. Bukar Talba, the House of Representatives‑elect for Marte, Monguno and Nganzai; Commissioner for Local Government and Emirates Affairs Sugun Mai Mele; Transition Council Chairman of Abadam; and several prominent indigenes of Abadam.
Comments are closed for this story.