The Borno State Government has commenced the resettlement of 500 internally displaced households, comprising about 6,000 people, to Mairari community in Guzamala Local Government Area as part of efforts to restore normalcy in communities affected by insurgency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries had fled Mairari more than a decade ago after insurgents forced them to abandon their homes.
Governor Babagana Zulum had earlier inaugurated a resettlement committee to coordinate the exercise.
The committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Alhaji Sugun Mai-Mele. Other members include Bukar Talba, who represents Marte/Monguno/Nganzai Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, and Alhaji Ali Abdullahi, Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), among others.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Maiduguri, Mai-Mele said Mairari would serve as the temporary headquarters of Guzamala Local Government Area to facilitate the restoration of civil authority and support the gradual return of displaced residents.
He disclosed that each beneficiary household received an initial cash grant of N50,000, with an additional N50,000 to be paid after they remain in the community for a specified period.
According to him, housewives were also given N25,000 as the first tranche of a N50,000 support package.
The government further distributed relief items, including 25-kilogram bags of rice and maize, mattresses, wrappers and clothing materials to the returning families.
Chairman of Guzamala Local Government Council, Mr. Umar Sheriff, commended Governor Zulum for his commitment to restoring peace, security and livelihoods in the area.
Sheriff pledged the council’s continued collaboration with the resettlement committee and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation and long-term sustainability of the resettlement programme.
