Hundreds of Nigerian refugees in neighbouring Niger Republic have started returning to their ancestral homes in various communities across Mobar Local Government Area of Borno State.
The returnees had, five years ago, fled and crossed into the neighbouring country as a result of incessant attacks on their villages in the northern part of the state by Boko Haram militants.
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The state governor, Babagana Zulum, who travelled on Saturday to Damasak, headquarters of the local government area, where he met with 674 displaced households with food items and cash support, inspected ongoing construction work of 1000 shelters earmarked to accommodate the returning refugees.
Governor Zulum, in company of the Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, also directed the expansion of military trench to create room for the construction of more houses for the returning refugees.
While still in Damasak, the governor visited an abandoned irrigation facility and directed the Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement to invite engineers to look into the possibility of reactivating all the machines to restore irrigation activities for the benefit of farmers.
He further directed the State Road Maintenance Agency to reassess the extent of damage at the famous “Kam kura noz3y3” bridge, linking Nigeria with the Niger Republic.
While at the Damasak General Hospital, and the military task force brigade, Governor Zulum appealed to the Brigade Commander to look into the possibility of allowing people to access their farmlands early for farming activities, as against the usual practice of 10 am daily as a security precaution.
