Three military sources and a security source told Reuters on Saturday that a convoy transporting Borno state governor Babagana Zulum came under fire from militants this week, forcing him to cut short a trip to the northern town of Malam Fatori.According to the reports, the incident took place on Thursday, raising doubts about the governor’s promise to close displaced persons shelters and return those living there back to their villages.
Malam Fatori is located on the border of Niger.
Zulum and military spokespeople did not reply to demands for comment.
Zulum announced earlier this month that, citing improved security, he will close the camps that house thousands of internally displaced people in the state capital, Maiduguri, by the end of the year.
Borno state has been at the epicentre of Nigeria’s 12-year fight against Islamist rebels such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province. According to estimates from the United Nations Development Programme, the violence has killed nearly 350,000 people and displaced millions more.
No comments:
Post a Comment