Yobe State government, with support from the North East Development Commission (NEDC), has donated food and non-food items to 246 families of vigilantes who lost their lives fighting the Boko Haram insurgents in the state.
The NEDC state coordinator, Dr Ali Ibrahim Abbas, said the beneficiaries included families of the fallen vigilantes who were killed or injured in the line of their duties.
He said Governor Mai Mala Buni directed the NEDC state office to deliver the relief items and assure the families of the victims that they had not been forgotten by the state and federal governments.
“This is a symbolic flagging off of the distribution of food and non-food items which include bags of rice, spaghetti, cooking oil, blankets and mosquito nets among others.
“It is a continuous support to appreciate the sacrifices made by our fallen vigilantes in fighting the insurgency in the state and this same gesture will be extended to other front line security outfits, the military, the police among others”.
The Commander 27 Task Force Brigade, Buni Gari, Brigadier General Babalola Koughna, said vigilantes have been instrumental in supporting the Nigerian Army in the war against insurgency in the state.
Philip Japhet, the vigilante commander, thanked the state government and NEDC for the support.
