1,295 IDPs Return to Borno as Yobe Begins Safe Relocation of Displaced Families

Hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs), most of them women and children, have begun returning to their communities in Borno State as the Yobe State Government intensifies efforts to support the safe resettlement of families displaced by years of insurgency.

The relocation exercise officially commenced in Damaturu, with displaced residents from the Water Board facility and the Roundabout axis along Maiduguri Road departing for Maiduguri after indicating their readiness to return home.

The operation is being coordinated by the Security Adviser to Governor Mai Mala Buni, retired General Dahiru Abdulsalam, in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and security agencies tasked with ensuring the safety of the returnees.

Authorities disclosed that 1,295 displaced persons have already been successfully transported to Maiduguri under the ongoing programme. Government officials provided free transportation and security escorts to ease the journey and protect vulnerable groups throughout the relocation process.

Women and children under the age of 14 account for the majority of those returning, underlining the humanitarian importance of the exercise. Security personnel stationed along the route were seen maintaining order and providing reassurance to families embarking on the trip.

Officials also confirmed that registration and profiling of remaining displaced persons are still underway to facilitate additional movements in the coming days.

“In Kasaisa village, 93 households comprising 547 individuals have been registered,” one of the coordinators revealed, noting that preparations are ongoing for their eventual relocation.

Several displaced residents expressed joy at the opportunity to return to their ancestral homes after years of uncertainty. Some IDPs in Kasaisa said they were eager to rebuild their lives and reconnect with their communities in Borno State.

The relocation marks another step in efforts by authorities to support the reintegration of displaced populations across the North-East, while ensuring that the return process remains voluntary, orderly and secure.