Borno Disburses N15m To 500 Widows, Orphans

Borno State government, through the Ohaneze APC Support Group, has disbursed the sum of N15 million to 500 widows and orphans as part of activities to celebrate the Christmas season.

The disbursement, which was flagged off yesterday at a ceremony organised by the Ohaneze APC Support Group at Pompomari area of Maiduguri, witnessed an unprecedented turnout of widows, including wives of slain soldiers in the Boko Haram war and orphans, as well as the less privileged.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman and the Coordinator of the Ohaneze APC Support Group, Chief Ugochukwu Egwudike (Go Easy), stated that the gesture was aimed at supporting vulnerable members of society and ensuring they share in the joy of the festive season.

Chief Egwudike disclosed that each of the 500 beneficiaries will receive N30,000, adding that the initiative reflects the Borno State Government’s commitment to compassion, inclusiveness, and social welfare, especially during significant religious celebrations.

“We proposed for 300 widows, but as early as 7 am on Wednesday, over 500 of the widows and orphans have gathered in the premises where the disbursement is being held. Therefore, out of compassion and in response to the efforts of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, we increased the number to 500.

“Today marks the end of the free transport initiative and cash gifts to widows for the 2025 Christmas celebration, which the Governor has continued to provide for non-indigenes in the past six years. We have disbursed N30,000 to all the widows and orphans registered,” Egwudike said.

Beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the state government and the Ohaneze APC Support Group for the timely intervention, describing it as a relief that would help them celebrate Christmas with dignity and hope.

Vivian Victor – Ugwu, a widow from Shagari low-cost area of Maiduguri, whose soldier husband was killed by Boko Haram terrorists in 2020, worried that each time Christmas approaches, as a widow taking care of the four children left behind by her husband, she is always scared of how to get what the children will eat on Christmas.

She said with the cash gift from Governor Zulum, she is rest assured that there will be food on the table for her children, even as she urged the government to show more support to the families of soldiers who died on the frontline battling terrorists.

In the same vein, Salamatu Umar, another wife of a slain soldier in the Boko Haram war that benefited from the cash gift, commended Governor Zulum’s administration for considering the plight of widows during Christmas.

“Life has not been easy for my children and me since Boko Haram killed my husband. This is the first time the wives of the slain soldiers are benefiting from Governor Zulum’s Christmas cash gift. The money will surely support us in what to eat on Christmas Day,” she said.

Fatima Babagana, whose husband was killed in 2015 by the Boko Haram terrorists, said she is the only one taking care of their five children, adding that not much help is coming to the widows of deceased soldiers, hence she appealed to the government to give them more support.

“Most of us here are wives of slain soldiers in the Boko Haram war. We are located in Musari, Dubai, and in low-cost areas near Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri. We typically do not receive this level of government support. This is the first time we are benefiting from Governor Zulum’s Christmas gesture, “she said.

Patience Ijayi, an orphan who benefited from Zulum’s generosity, thanked the Governor for bringing smiles to the faces of the downtrodden in society, including widows and orphans.