Borno To Build 3 Resettlement Villages For 20,000 Refugees

Borno State governor, Babagana Umara Zulum has announced plans to construct three integrated villages for the resettlement of Nigerian refugees displaced by Boko Haram insurgency in 2014.

Over 20,000 refugees were reportedly displaced by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States and were forced to take refuge in neighbouring Republic of Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

Zulum made the disclosure while chairing a technical committee meeting which was held at the Borno State Liaison Office in Abuja on Monday.

Zulum is the vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of Refugees as well as the management of repentant Boko Haram members with Vice President Yemi Osibanjo heading the committee.

The governor announced that President Buhari has approved the release of N15 billion to the committee with the Borno State government handling the construction of the three villages aimed to resettle the returnees from the neighbouring countries.

Zulum said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), would handle the provision of food and non-food relief materials and the National Refugees Commission to coordinate the repatriation process of the refugees living in Chad, Cameroon and Niger while the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) would provide adequate security for the exercise.

The governor also noted that the construction of the villages and the repatriation process will be conducted in phases and only those willing to return will be considered.

The meeting was attended by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, representatives of all the relevant agencies and security operatives and humanitarian organizations.

Last Friday, Zulum travelled to Baga Sola in the Lac region of the Republic of Chad.

During the visit, each refugee of Borno extraction was given 5,000 Chadien currency to support their livelihood during the month of Ramadan.

In December 2020, Governor Zulum was also in Baga Sola where N50 million was distributed to 5,000 refugees mostly from Kukawa and Kala-Balge local government areas.

The governor had visited Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic at different times to meet Borno citizens taking refuge in the three neighbouring countries with land borders connecting Borno from different angles.

During each of these trips, Zulum supervised the delivery of food and financial aid to thousands of refugees.