Zulum visits Borno refugees in Niger Republic displaced by flood from Malam-Fatori

…meets multinational forces

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum was in Bosso, a border town in Niger Republic on Sunday, to visit citizens of Borno State who were displaced by flood.

The displaced were residents of Malam-Fatori, headquarters of Abadam Local Government northern Borno, along the shores of Lake Chad.

Malam-Fatori is close to Bosso in Niger Republic.

For years, Nigerians and Nigeriens from the border areas often move in and out of the border towns for social, trade and cultural purposes.

Around 2013 and 2014, many Nigerians from Abadam, Monguno and a number of the 10 LGAs in northern Borno, took refuge in Bosso and lived there for seven years, fleeing from attacks by Boko Haram insurgents on the Nigerian side of the border.

Zulum has, since becoming the governor in 2019, travelled to different parts of Niger Republic on about 10 occasions, and all the visits were for humanitarian assessments and interventions.

As an outcome of Zulum’s visits, thousands of refugees returned from Bosso and were resettled in their ancestral communities mostly in northern Borno.

A number of them were resettled in Malam-Fatori early this year.

Malam-Fatori was occupied by Boko Haram for seven years from 2014 before it was recovered by the military.

Zulum was in Malam-Fatori at different times supervising reconstruction works, as citizens who returned were gradually picking the pieces of their lives until a recent flood, caused by excessive recharge around Lake Chad, this year.

Addressing the victims Zulum said: “We are here to sympathize with you over the flood disaster that has affected you. Many of you lost personal belongings. Insha Allah, Borno State government will support you and we will return you to your community as soon as the water recedes.”

The governor thanked officials of Niger Republic for always welcoming Nigerians from Borno State in their hours of distress.

Meanwhile, during his trip to Bosso, Governor Zulum interfaced with soldiers of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

The soldiers were under Sector 3 of the MNJTF.

The governor interacted with the sector’s Commander, Brig Gen AbdulSalam Abubakar and paid tributes to troops for their huge sacrifices.

Zulum while speaking with the MNJTF commander, expressed gratitude to Presidents of Lake Chad countries deploying soldiers to the Multinational Joint Task Force.

He praised President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, and Presidents of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon Republics for their relentless commitments to the fight against insurgents in their countries.

Zulum returned to Maiduguri on Sunday night after the humanitarian visit.