GOVERNOR Kashim Shettima has said that about one hundred and sixty-four thousand internally displaced people IDPs have been returned to their ancestral communities.
He said that even though it is the wish of government to ensure that many other IDPs were returned to their homes, the government was not in a hurry to allow those of Abadan and Marte to go just now because ” the insurgents are all over the numerous islands of the Lake Chad and we do not want them to go there and become victims of soft target attacks.”
The governor expressed regrets that humanitarian community was so badly involved in the crossfire between the insurgents and the people that three of their people were killed last year in Rann Kala-Balge.
“As a government, we are grateful to all of you for your support and sacrifice to our people. We recognise the critical role played by the humanitarian community and we will continue to be grateful.
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The governor hinted that over 1.5 million IDPs are still spread all over the state without access to their ancestral homes adding that he was aware some of them have been going through unending pains more still if they are refugees which have been forced out of host countries for strange reasons.
He reiterated the fact that his government has placed the welfare of IDPs first with a view of looking forward to a bright future without the Boko Haram so that they can move.
Responding, the United Nations resident humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria said that their primary focus was to help the people in Borno state and the entire northeast and they will never get tired of doing it.
He said that they will not withdraw their assistance to the northeast because of the upcoming elections adding that they want all IDPs to return in a voluntary, dignified and well-arranged manner.
Kallon said that the world humanitarian day is being celebrated to remember their colleagues killed during the brutal Iraqi war.
Edward Kallon noted that the United Nations condemn the killing of aid workers adding that “we also call for the release of aid workers who have been abducted by the insurgents.”
The UN humanitarian coordinator further called on Nigerian leaders to do all they can to protect the people and ensure that civilians are not a target of unnecessary killings by insurgents.
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