Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State, on Saturday, reopened the Gamboru International Cattle Market, which was closed for about seven years as a result of Boko Haram insurgency in the State.
The market is located in Gamboru, a commercial border town in Ngala local government area (LGA) in Borno Central.
Gamboru shares border with the Republic of Cameroon and has land routes to N’Djamena, the capital city of Chad Republic.
The market was closed due to serial attacks by Boko Haram insurgents.
Zulum, who is currently in Ngala LGA for two days of humanitarian activities, reopened the market in the company of the Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion, Nigeria Army, Lt. Col. Tolu Adedokun, and the chairman of Ngala local government area, Hon. Mala Tijjani.
The governor expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian military, the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other paramilitary security agencies for liberating and securing many parts of Borno State, which made it possible for the market to be reopened.
Zulum also expressed delight at the re-opening of the market which, for many years, was enhancing trans-border trade between Nigeria, Cameroon and the Republic of Chad.
Governor Zulum, however, warned cattle dealers and anyone associated with the market never to condone or support the use of the market by criminal elements to jeopardise security successes recorded.
Borno’s Commissioner for Youths Empowerment, Sports Development and Poverty Alleviation, Saina Buba, who chairs a cattle management committee set up by Governor Zulum, recalled that before it was closed down, Gamboru market was a transit for the export of 500 to 800 herds of cattle every day to the neighbouring countries.
The commissioner noted that the market provided thousands of direct and indirect means of livelihoods to residents of Gamboru and other communities.
Buba’s 10-person management committee comprises representatives of the military, the Police, DSS and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Chairman of Borno State Cattle Traders Association, Alhaji Yakuba Goni, thanked Governor Zulum for reopening the Gomboru Cattle Market and for supporting traders in different ways.
Zulum, who had earlier arrived Gamboru on Friday, went alongside the state chairman of the APC, Ali Bukar Dalori, APC’s candidate for Borno Central, Bar. Kaka Shehu Lawan, Marte, Monguno, Nganzai House of Representatives candidate, Engr. Bukar Talba, Special Advisers and other government officials and party chieftains, especially those indigenous to Ngala LGA.
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