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• Visits thousands of Nigerian refugees in Chad
From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Yobe State governor and Chairman of Lake Chad Basin Governor’ Forum (LCBGF), Mai Mala Buni, has called for stronger regional collaboration to curb movement of terrorists along Lake Chad. He said this was necessary to tackle insecurity in the region.
Buni made the call at Kaya of Lac Province in Chad Republic during his visit to thousands of Nigerian refugees in the area on Thursday.
The governor expressed regret that terrorist attacks forced the people from their homes in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states years ago.
He said the refugees who have lived in temporary shelters for over a decade, were forced out of their farmlands to struggle for space in the river through fishing.
The community leader for the refugees, Ba Bulama Usman, commended the governor for his visit. He said Buni was the first Nigerian senior public official to visit the refugees at Kaya since for over a decade.
“You are the only government official from Nigeria to visit us,” he said.
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Earlier during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Chad’s Lac Province, Gen Saleh Hagar Tidjani, Buni commended the Chadian authorities for accommodating Nigerian citizens as refugees.
He said Nigeria and Chad must continue to work together to preserve security, stability and peaceful coexistence around the Lake Chad Basin.
“We appreciate the Chadian government for accommodating us,” Bulama Usman said, adding, “We appreciate the host communities for the peaceful coexistence. But there is no place like home.”
Buni stressed that the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum is committed to deeper cooperation among the countries and communities surrounding the lake.
He urged the refugees to remain law-abiding, eschew criminal activities. He also charged them to promptly report suspicious persons, movements and possible infiltration and security threats to the security agencies.
He reminded them that returning home must be accompanied by responsibility, security awareness and cooperation with authorities.
Thousands of civilians fled their homes in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in the wake of Boko Haram attacks between 2014 and 2016. Many fled across the borders to communities in neighbouring African nations in the Lake Chad region. These countries include Chad, Niger and Cameroon, Nigeria’s neighbours
