Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno state, says Boko Haram cannot be eradicated without the full resettlement of displaced persons in their ancestral homes.
Zulum made the remark on Monday during a visit to Muna internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Maiduguri, which currently hosts over 11,000 families.
He said his administration has so far resettled 6,000 families to Dikwa and Mafa LGAs as part of efforts to restore normalcy and reduce crime within IDP camps.
“Boko Haram can never be eradicated without resettlement. People have to go back to their homes and earn their livelihood,” NAN quoted the governor as saying.
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Zulum noted that rising incidents of prostitution, gangsterism, child abuse, and other crimes in camps such as Muna were threatening progress made in the fight against insecurity.
He said each of the resettled families would receive food items, shelter materials, and access to healthcare services.
Additionally, N100,000 would be given to male and female heads of households, while housewives would receive N50,000.
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The governor also recalled that his administration had committed to closing all formal IDP camps within Maiduguri — a goal now nearing completion.
“About 75 percent of the IDPs here at Muna have been resettled. The remaining 25 percent will return to their ancestral homes in the coming days,” he said.
Zulum said the resettlement initiative is both a humanitarian and security strategy aimed at rebuilding communities and discouraging long-term dependence on aid.
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