No fewer than 1,200 out of the more than 100,000 people displaced by Boko Haram violence in Bama town, Borno State, have returned, even as the remaining ones are eager to similarly return soon.
According to the officials and returnees today, Thursday: “we have transported 1,200 persons to Bama in two batches on Monday and today (Thursday) as part of the phased return of residents that fled after Boko Haram invaded the town in 2014.
“We intend to gradually return over 100,000 people to Bama in coming months as part of the reconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation of IDPs (internally displaced persons) by the Borno state government.”
One of the returnees, Umar Bukar, said that they were screened and issued with a badge before being taken in trucks to the town under security escort.
Each returnee was given a bag of rice, a bag of millet with 10,000 naira ($27.70) to “start a new life,” said Bukar who spoke to AFP on the phone from the town.
He added that the male returnees would wait to see if the security situation has improved before bringing their families from Maiduguri.
Bama, a major trading hub on the road to Cameroon and home to 270,000 people, was captured in September 2014, forcing residents to flee to Maiduguri, the state capital.
State officials said that it would require 40 billion naira (94 million euros, $111 million) to rebuild the town, a staggering amount in the impoverished region.
Abba Jato Mohammed, chairman of the state relocation committee told reporters last month that about 11,000 houses had been reconstructed in Bama.
Bukar said only one-third of the town has since been rebuilt, but displaced residents said they were ready to return to rebuild their homes.
“We are ever willing to return to Bama and rebuild our homes on our own if the government allows us,” resident Mohammed Kassim told AFP.
“Given the pace of the reconstruction work it will take years to rebuild every home and we can’t wait that long,” he said.
Source: AFP.
