Uthman Abubakar
Following reported threats by terrorists to attack Monguno in northern Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum, has announced the closure of the Internally Displaced Persons camps in the Government Senior Science Secondary School, Monguno.
The closure of the Monguno camp brings to about 13 the IDP camps that the state government has closed since 2018.
The Monguno IDPs camp, about 120 km from Maiduguri, housed over 100,000 IDPs drawn from parts of Kukawa, Nganzai, Marte and Guzamala LGAs displaced by the Boko Haram insurgents.
The PUNCH recent investigations revealed that following a systematic flow of arms and fighters from the Sahel ISIS to lend more strength to ISWAP around the Lake Chad basin, the terrorists have marked Monguno, Marte and Abadan, all in northern Borno, for decisive attacks.
However, Zulum, apparently satisfied with the level of security and peace restored at some of the communities, said the closure of the Monguno IDPs camp was to pave the way for the rehabilitation of the school to facilitate the resumption of academic activities.
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Zulum was on an inspection visit at the camp to assess the extent of destruction resulting from the Boko Haram attack and the prolonged use by internally displaced persons.
He stated that the IDPs would be relocated to occupy the 1,000 resettlement houses built in the town for citizens affected by the over one-decade-old Boko Haram insurgency.
Monguno’s 1,000 houses are part of the housing intervention that forms over 10,000 resettlement houses constructed by Zulum’s administration since 2019.
The governor also noted that IDPs who were from communities and villages that attained relative peace would be returned, particularly those from Kekeno, Mile 90 and Yoyo, among others.
“We will return those of you from communities which have attained relative peace, everyone that is willing to return will be provided with a resettlement package to pick up the pieces of their lives,” Zulum said.
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