Governor Babagana Zulum presided over the ceremony held at Ramat Square in Maiduguri.

He said the event was made possible by the return of relative peace in the state.

Zulum, who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Usman Kadafur, lauded the military and other security agencies for the uncommon successes recorded in various operations against the insurgents.

The governor said that the successes in the terror campaign enabled the state government to close all displaced persons’ camps in Maiduguri and Jere Local Government Areas.

He explained that most of the displaced persons voluntarily returned to their towns and villages.

The governor said the task before the government was to rebuild critical infrastructure destroyed during the 12 years of insurgency.

“We renew our commitment to confronting the challenges of critical infrastructure destroyed by the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency.

“And explore avenues to create job opportunities for our teeming unemployed youths, thereby, minimizing the upsurge of social vices in the society. “We remain confident that with the massive investments we have made in the last three years in the expansion and strengthening of our resettlement and recovery effort, we shall succeed in our commitment to provide the dividends of democracy,” he added.

He pledged to provide vital services to the people, to enhance livelihoods and economic growth in communities.

“On a sustainable basis in the attainment of our policy thrust, we have a duty to improve on job creation, access to education, healthcare delivery services, security, potable water supply for both human and animal consumptions, among others.

“We can do these only in a climate of peace and security,” Zulum said.

He enjoined the citizenry to remain united, live peacefully and shun all tendencies capable of plunging the nation into chaos and anarchy as the 2023 general elections approached.

A detachment of police personnel conducted the parade while another medals parade was held to honour officers and men of Operation Hadin Kai involved in the fight against insurgency.

The terrorists have attacked the village countless times within the past five months, according to a Chibok resident.

The attack, according to the villager, started around 6 o’clock pm and it got all the villagers deserting for safety in the nearby Sambisa forest where the terrorists camped.

“The attack started at 6:20 pm this evening (Tuesday). They came on their motorcycles and started to shoot randomly from all angles.

The villagers ran to the bush for safety but the bush is Sambisa forest and that is where the Boko Haram insurgents are living. That village has been attacked more than ten times this year alone,” Adamson, a handicapped from Chibok said

“There is no other village around there except the Sambisa forest and the people living there have never left their homes despite the attacks.According to what I was told by my source who is presently hiding in the bush, the terrorists shot one man dead in his car and then set the car ablaze with the dead body inside the vehicle. They also killed two others while also burning down several houses. But we cannot determine the level of damage or destruction now until in the morning when they are all back in their villages,” Adamson said.

The attack occurred almost the same time as the UN Secretary-General was visiting Borno State for an on-the-spot assessment of the level of damage done by the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno.

The UN Chief who visited Gubio camp immediately when he arrived in Maiduguri told Zulum that he was happy with the condition he met the IDPs and pledged to offer all necessary assistance to ensure the safe return of IDPs to their ancestral homes in line with the state government’s resettlement plan.

“I saw people that have suffered smiling and hoping for the best. I saw ex-terrorists trying to integrate into society and I discovered that here in Borno we will not solve the problem if we do not solve the root cause of the problems.

“But I see here in Borno a governor who is determined to establish confidence and trust between the population and government. When the population does not trust the government, they follow terrorists. When the population sees the government cannot do anything for them, they follow terrorists. But here I see a government that is not only thinking about impressing the population but thinking about the future.

“I see that what they really want is not food but the condition to really go back home in dignity and safety,” he said.

He gave the assurance during his visit, alongside Senator Kashim Shettima, to the border town of Gamboru in Ngala Local Government Area, where they undertook humanitarian responses, from Sunday to Tuesday.

This was contained in a statement by his spokesman, Isa Gusau, on Tuesday, titled, ‘Two days in Gamboru: Zulum, Shettima share food, cash to 60,803 returnees’.

The governor who visited the General Hospital in Ngala town, and a primary healthcare centre in Gamboru town, after coordinating humanitarian responses, appreciated the health workers for their sacrifice and selflessness.

While interacting with medical doctors, Zulum announced that he will approve salaries that will match International NGOs payment plans attracting doctors to operate in Ngala.

Earlier, Zulum and Shettimah supervised the distribution of food and non-food items to a combined number of 60,813 internally displaced persons in camps and those resettled in communities.

Zulum and Shettima traveled with the Member of House of Representatives representing Ngala, Bama, Kala-Balge Federal Constituency, Dr. Zainab Gimba, Commissioners for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement (RRR), Engr. Mustapha Gubio, Agriculture, Engr. Bukar Talba, and Poverty Alleviation, Nuhu Clark, a number of humanitarian workers, officials, and some APC chieftains.

They were received on arrival by some key stakeholders of Ngala LGA comprising the member of the State Assembly representing Ngala, Bukar Mustapha Dalhatu, Commissioner of Religious Affairs, Abacha Umar Ngala, Special Adviser, AbdulRahman AbdulKarim, and Special Adviser on Events and Hospitality, Bintu Sheriff.

Zulum also assured Nigerians that the 12-year Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast will be over before the 2023 general elections.  The governor revealed these to State House Correspondents on Thursday shortly after a meeting with President Buhari at the State House.

He said, “The ongoing, massive defection of Boko Haram members, this time around, has also started with a defection of ISWAP members. This is a welcome development. As of now we, have received nothing less than 30,000 from beginning to date for both Boko Haram and ISWAP. ISWAP, we have started receiving them in few numbers, but Boko Haram, we have started receiving them in huge numbers. The way we are going, with the support of the federal government with good management, Boko Haram will be over very soon. The most important thing is that the federal government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Buhari, the Borno State Government, the military, we’re all working in close collaboration to ensure that those that are willing to surrender are given the opportunity to surrender. We don’t give any promissory notes to defectors, honestly speaking. As I’ve been saying before, the kinetic measures alone will never end the insurgency. The social and political dimension of this crisis is very important. So we have decided to engage them through dialogue and mediation, to ensure that many of them lay their arms. But you also have to understand one essential thing; there is a difference between those that have been captured and those that have surrendered. People should understand these two unidentical situations. Go back and Google and see the international conventions, rules and regulations. There is a difference between those that have been captured and those that have willingly surrendered,”

Chibok became famous after the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram at a boarding secondary school in 2014.

The governor who paid a condolence visit to the town on Monday was told by residents that four persons were killed in the latest attack by Boko Haram, with 110 buildings razed.

A statement on Tuesday by the spokesman of the governor, Isa Gusau said his principal “was in Chibok town on Monday following a recent attack on three communities: Kawtakare, Korohuma and Pemi in the LGA.The Governor met families of 22 women and two men abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP during the attack,” the statement further revealed.

He said during the visit, Zulum invited relatives from the three affected communities made up of men and women and hosted them at the Government lodge in Chibok town

Gusau said, “Insurgents had recently attacked Kawtakare on January 21, 2022, Pemi on January 14 after the previous one on Korohuma on December 30, 2021.”

The spokesman quoted the governor to have said, “We are here in Chibok to commiserate with you, immediate families of our sisters and brothers abducted as well as four of our brothers killed by the Boko Haram terrorists in these unfortunate incidents. We share your pains and we pray this act will not happen again.”

He said the governor after meeting the families, interfaced with heads of security agencies and discussed gaps and ways to enhance security in the communities.

According to Gusau, Zulum observed that four local government areas: Biu, Askira, Chibok and Damboa were faced with serial attacks from the members of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in recent times, assuring that his administration will not relent in providing additional support to security operatives, to contain the challenges.

The Chairman of Chibok local government area, Umar Ibrahim while briefing the governor on the incident, said in addition to the 24 people abducted, three persons were killed by the terrorists during separate attacks on three communities.

The Chairman disclosed that a combined number of 110 buildings made up of 73 houses, 33 shops and four churches were burnt alongside eight vehicles and three tricycles.

Zulum immediately directed that an assessment report containing all destructions perpetrated by the terrorists in the three communities be submitted to him.

He also commended the chairman of the council for his responsive leadership saying, “Let me specifically commend the efforts of the Local Government Chairman, because, despite the very limited resources, he has been doing his best to ensure that dividends of democracy are provided in Chibok.”

The Governor was accompanied to Chibok by the member representing Chibok at the state assembly, Aimu Foni, Commissioner of Poverty Alleviation, Nuhu Clark who also hails from Chibok, and commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Sugun Mai Mele.

The directive was conveyed in a letter signed by Governor Babagana Zulum and addressed to humanitarian organisations and development partners.

Reiterating that state government is committed to closing all official IDP camps in Maiduguri by December 2021, Zulum said the decision was taken to make Borno residents self-reliant and to wean them off humanitarian food distribution.

From henceforth, food distribution will only be allowed in IDP camps and IDPs in host communities for now. Development partners will need clearance from the government to ensure coordination and check duplication in all new areas they wish to distribute food and non-food items.

The letter read; “The Borno State government wishes to acknowledge and thank you for all your support to the people and government of the state and in particular your support for people displaced internally by insurgency.As you are aware, the Borno State government is deeply committed to supporting our people to build resilience and support themselves out of poverty To this end, government has committed to closing all official IDP camps in Maiduguri by December 2021.Part of this initiative is to empower people to begin to build back their lives.One of the cardinal principles of our resilience-building effort is to wean people off humanitarian food distribution

“Another principle is to dignify the people and empower them to buy their own food and determine their future.In furtherance of this, the Borno State government, after consultation with our communities, have decided that no partner organisation shall henceforth be allowed to distribute food and non-food items in any of our resettled communities This applies to local, national, and international partners. Food distribution will only be allowed in IDP camps and IDPs in host communities for now.While we look forward to your conforming with this decision, please accept my appreciation of your partnership and support to the people and government of Borno State.”

Zulum, during the Menwara Cultural Festival in Shani Town on Saturday, said that the monthly salaries and allowances paid to fake employees including the babies were ‘siphoned’ by corrupt officials, Daily Trust reports.

The governor said, “Let me inform you that at the end of the verification exercise, names of babies were found in the payrolls while N19 million was paid to fake employees in Shani Local Government Area monthly. It was discovered that one family alone has 300 fake employees and if this trend continues, I am afraid, Shani LGA may not be able to pay the monthly salaries of its employees, in the future.”

Governor Zulum stated this when he spoke at the presentation of a book by Dakuku Perterside, former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), on Thursday, March 25.

He said, “The issue of power rotation is a covenant between us hence the need to shift the power to the south.”

According to him, it doesn’t matter what part of the South the next president comes from. He urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to heed his advice and keep to previous agreements made to shift power to the southern part of the country in the next administration.

Governor Zulum will not be the first governor to say that the South should take power. Just last week, the Katsina state governor, Aminu Masari in an interview, also advocated for power to the shift to the South come 2023.

According to Gusau, the removal was part of measures to reposition the ministry.

He said “The governor has directed his Chief of Staff, Isa Marte, a Professor of pharmacology and fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science with a speciality in cancer research, to oversee the affairs of the ministry pending the appointment of a substantive commissioner. Zulum expresses gratitude to Kwaya-Bura for his immense contributions to the development of Borno public health sector in nearly two years of the current administration and the years he had served under the previous administration”

The monarch who paid a Sallah homage to the governor at the Government House in Maiduguri averred that if the convoy of the chief security officer of the state could be attacked, then no one is safe in the state.

Elkanemi said “Your Excellency, we are not happy about what happened in Baga, it is very unfortunate and a great pity. If the convoy of the whole chief security officer of the state will be attacked, then wallahi, nobody is safe, because he is the number one citizen of the state. If the convoy of such a highly placed person in the state will be attacked, I repeat, nobody is safe. The matter is getting worse, I urge everyone to raise  our hands to seek Allah’s intervention.”