The Victims Support Fund (VSF) on Thursday commenced the transportation of 5,704 households from IDPs camps in Maiduguri to their communities in Marte Local Government Area of Borno.
The VSF Vice Chairman, AVM Lawal Alao (rtd) said that the evacuation was the second to to be conducted by the fund.
Alao said the VSF is targeting to move 11,765 families spread across three IDPs camps back to their ancestral homes.
He lauded the military and other security agencies for restoring peace in Borno and their support for the VSF, which helped to sustain its activities in the state.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of VSF, Prof. Nana Tanko lauded Borno Government for its support to the IDPs.
He said that apart from providing the beneficiaries with food and non food items, VSF would also provide each head of household N100,000 while married women would receive N50,000 each.
Tanko said that those being evacuated were also empowered in areas of farming, food processing, education and psychosocial support.
“There is also peace building as they are going back to same communities with some repentant Boko-Haram members. We are looking at social cohesion,” Tanko said.
In his remarks, Alhaji Mohammed Habib, Acting Permanent Secretary, Borno Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, lauded VSF for its sustained support to the state.
He disclosed that the state government had so far resettled about 15 communities leading to closure of 10 IDPs camps.
Habib said that many members of the resettled communities had since picked up their lives.
The Deputy Governor of Borno, Alhaji Umar Kadafur thanked VSF for the intervention and assured sustained collaboration with the state government.
“We want to thank our partners, particularly the VSF, we appreciate all interventions VSF is doing.
“Let me use the opportunity to call on all those going back to be law abiding citizens and should report any suspicious movement to authorities that are trying to make things comfortable for you.
“You need to cooperate with them to properly secure your environment,” Kadafur said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most of the beneficiaries thanked God and all those who made it possible for them to return home.
“After seven years in the camp, I am today going back home, it’s a dream come true and may we never experience such crisis again,” a woman who identified herself as Falmata said. (NAN)
