Displaced persons get food, N200m

Borno State Government has distributed food items and the sum of N200 million to displaced households in Bama town.

Some of the displaced persons were said to have returned from Cameroon where they lived as refugees after being displaced by insurgents from their respective communities.

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The displaced persons have reportedly been denied access to their farmlands, markets and other means of livelihood.

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum supervised the distribution exercise in  Bama.

The humanitarian intervention, which was combined with agricultural activities to create livelihoods, was part of the multidimensional approach to deny insurgents,  opportunities of using social and economic means of recruiting fighters from displaced persons, governor’s aide, Malam Isa Gusau said in a statement.

In all, 40,000 women received two packets of sugar, a wrapper and N5,000 each amounting to N200 million while 30,000 male spouses received a bag of rice, a bag of maize grill and a carton of spaghetti each.

While addressing the beneficiaries, the governor said  “We share your pains and we are appealing to everyone of you to continue with the prayers for peace to return to our dear state.

In a related development, Governor Zulum had on Wednesday, interacted with hundreds of volunteers in the Civilian Joint Task Force and hunters helping the military in Bama and thereafter gave them N8.5 million for various interventions, 30 motorcycles and a variety of food items.

Of the money, N100,000 each was given to families of 31 CJTF members and 38 hunters and vigilantes whose relatives lost their lives while fighting against the insurgents.

Children of the deceased volunteers would also be enrolled in schools.

Each volunteer member was given N10, 000 and a variety of food items.

Again, Zulum also allocated N1.5 million to the leadership of the three groups of volunteers with each group getting N500,000.

He directed that a member of the CJTF, who sustained serious injury while fighting the insurgents be taken to an orthopedic hospital in Kano for treatment. Another CJTF member who lost his arm was given N250,000.