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No fewer than 12,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been relocated to their ancestral communities following the return of peace in Borno State.
Executive Director of Victims Support Fund, Nana Tanko, stated this to journalists at the official closing of the Gubio IDP camp on Thursday in Maiduguri, the state capital.
She said the decision to close the Gubio camp in Maiduguri and return the IDPs back to their ancestral homes was informed by the recent improvement in the security situation across the state.
According to her, each household of the returning IDPs got 100,000 Naira, a bag of rice, granded maize, cooking oil, a blanket, and kitchen utensils among other items.
She noted that the VSF is working to give the returnees business skills and training that would help them in farming, food processing, fishing among other things when they return to their ancestral homes.
“The second pillar is education, we are working to make sure that the schools are functional, the teachers are there and they are adequately trained”.
“We are making that the children have education materials, the community are sensitised to prioritise the education of their children”.
The number of those from IDP camp moving back to the ancestral homes have been traumatized, we are working to develop interventions that would ensure that they have some trauma healing”.
“As you know the same communities where the IDPs are going back to are the same communities the repentants Boko Haram are going back to, we have to make sure we look at social cohesion, so we have to make sure that peace is really the core of the support we giving them”.
“The state government has already committed to give them housing, sanitary and wash activities there”.
“VSF is working closely with the Borno State government and military to make the safety and security of the returnees in their ancestral communities.
Also speaking, the Deputy Governor of Borno State Umar Usman Kadafur has said that the state government is committed to facilitate the safe return of IDPs back their ancestral communities.
“We have also a lot of partners who partner with the state government, especially the victims’ support fund, and the vice chairman is here with us to see the return of the IDPs back their original homes.
“The security agencies are making sure that all the communities are safe for the returnees and we have to get clearance from the security agencies before returning the IDPs, we provide basic amenities which will support them to continue their livelihood.
Commenting, the acting permanent secretary of the Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR), Mohammed Ali, has said that so far the Borno State government has resettlement 15 communities back their ancestral homes while 10 IDP camps were closed within Maiduguri Metropolis and Jere local government area.
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