After two years of being displaced from their homes by the Boko Haram insurgency, at least seven thousand civilians have returned to their homes in the Gomboru Ngala Local Government Area (LGA). Gomboru Ngala is on the border of Borno State and Cameroon.
Speaking with journalists in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, on Friday, January 22nd, the Gomboru Ngala LGA Chairman Abdulrahman Abdulkarim said that he visited the area this week and spoke with civilians residing there.
According to Mr. Abdulkarim, most of the homes were burned down but residents have agreed to share houses with their neighbors and the State government was providing relief assistance.
Boko Haram terrorists overran Gomboru Ngala two years ago, where hundreds of civilians were killed or abducted. “Much of the town was razed [and burned] down,” Mr. Abdulkarim said.
Thousands of civilians fled to Cameroon and some were later repatriated to Maiduguri by the State government as the presidential elections approached last year.
In September 2015, the Nigerian troops reclaimed Gomboru Ngala from the terrorists after heavy guns battles resulting in the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Buratai, and other senior officers raising the Nigerian flag at the border town.
Mr. Abdulkarim appealed to the Nigerian and State government to place military checkpoints entering the Gomboru Ngala area because civilians expressed their intentions to return. “They are eager to come back and start their businesses as soon as possible,” he added.
A National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) source told a SaharaReporters correspondent that they were aware civilians repatriated back to the area but were awaiting authorization to provide assistance.