Borno: Gov. Zulum In Niger Republic to Visit Refugees from Malam-Fatori Displaced by Floods, Meets Multi-national Forces

By Ed Malik, A | December 5, 2022
ed@ddnewsonline.com

Governor of Nigerian north-eastern State of Borno, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum was in Bosso, a border town in Niger Republic on Sunday, to visit citizens of the State who were displaced by flooding.

The citizens were residents of Malam-Fatori, headquarters of Abadam Local Government in the northern part of Borno State along the shores of Lake Chad. Malam-Fatori is close to Bosso in Niger Republic.

For years, Nigerians and Nigeriens from the border areas often move in and out of the border towns for social, trade and cultural trade purposes. But about 2013 and 2014, many Nigerians from Abadam, Monguno and a number of the 10 LGAs in northern Borno, took refuge in Bosso and lived there for seven years, fleeing from attacks by Boko Haram insurgents on Nigeria’s side of the border.

Zulum has since becoming Governor in 2019 travelled to different parts of Niger Republic on about 10 occasions, and all visits were for humanitarian assessments and interventions connected to fleeing Borno citizens.

As an outcome of Zulum’s visits, thousands of refugees returned from Bosso and were resettled in their ancestral communities mostly in northern Borno. Many of the returnees were resettled in Malam-Fatori early this year 2022.

Hitherto, Malam-Fatori was occupied by Boko Haram for seven years since 2014 before it was recovered by the military. Since then, Zulum had visited Malam-Fatori several times to supervise and monitor the reconstruction works, noting that the citizens who returned were gradually picking the pieces of their lives until a recent flood said to have been caused by excessive release of water from Lake Chad axis.

The Governor addressed the victims (Malam-Fatori’s residents) taking refuge in Bosso.

“We are here to sympathize with you over the flood disaster that has affected you. Many of you lost personal belongings. Insha Allah, Borno State Government will support you and we will return you to your community as soon as the water recedes” Zulum said.

The Governor thanked officials of Niger Republic for always welcoming Nigerians from Borno State in hours of distress, with special appreciation to President Bazoum Mohammed of Niger Republic and Governors in charge of provinces neighbouring communities in Borno State.

Thereafter, the Governor took advantage of the trip to interface with soldiers of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

Meeting with the soldiers under Sector-3 of the MNJTF, the Governor interacted with the sector’s Commander, Brig Gen AbdulSalam Abubakar and paid tributes to troops for their huge sacrifices.

Governor Zulum expressed gratitude and praise to President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, and Presidents of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon Republics for their cooperation and relentless commitment to the fight against insurgents in their countries.

He returned to Maiduguri on Sunday night after the fact-finding humanitarian visits.