From Sadiq Abubakar
Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum’s convoy was again just two days after the first ambush Sunday morning around 10.30 am ambushed by four ISWAO members Sunday about two kilometers after the convoy left Baga and Mile 4 military formation.
Although no death recorded this time around except casualty, three vehicles escaped with windscreen shattered, the attacks resulted in vehicle having flat tyres including the Government House Press Crew bus and that of the military gun truck while one soldier on the gun truck was shot on the shoulder on their way back to Maiduguri enroute Monguno.
This occurred just some minutes after the governor has finished the distribution of food items and cash support to each of the 521 IDPs households along with N10,000 cash support to cushion their feeding and livelihoods .
While distributing the food items and cash support to the returnee IDPs in Baga town , the governor reassured them and those returning that his government will do every thing possible to ensure their peaceful and safe living now that they are back home.
The governor charged them to continue to be watchful on their children and restrict their movements unnecessarily to avoid being fall victims of land mines explosion as some areas within the Baga town are still danger spots and threats to their safety due to IEDs planted by the boko haram insurgents at the time they captured before it was liberated by the military.
Zulum further appealed to the returnee IDPs to be patient while their individual houses are being renovated or clearly and anybody that his or houses is bushy or dilapidated or yet to be rehabilitated should squad or stay with his neighbour or relation that his/her residence is ready for habitation.
He noted that the Nigerian military, police, civil defence , Immigration Service , CJTF and vigilante hunters have been deployed to provide security to lives and property in Baga and its environs as well as ensure law and order.
Zulum added that as the military clears land mines in parts of the town , the committee will renovate their respective houses and provide with all the basic facilities and amenities of life for their services while the situation improves steadily.
While at Monguno around 12.30 pm, the governor stopped over the Baga-Cross Kauwa-Kukawa check point gate to address another set of second batch Returnee IDPs numbering about 500 IDPs households before reaching Government Lodge Monguno.
He further addressed another large crowd of Baga IDPs who were yet to be screened in front of the Monguno Government Lodge along with Senator Abu Kyari, representing Borno North senatorial district at the National Assembly pleaded with the IDPs and assured their return back home to Baga town the threats from the Boko Haram insurgents.
Zulum also commended the efforts of the committee and security agencies , particularly, the military for their support while promising them that his government will continue to support and empower them to enhance their livelihoods in Baga.
He also told them that government has provided an enabling environment, security, food and basic infrastructures for their return and use to better their lives in their various communities.
