By Muhammad Gazali Garba

The Sokoto State Government has donated N15 million and two truckloads of assorted bags of rice to 1,550 internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by a recent security incident in Bodinga Local Council.
  
The beneficiaries were drawn from the communities of Bangi, Danchadi, Kolodo, Kwamtse, Keluje and Luge.
  
Presenting the relief items in Sifawa, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Muhammad Bello Sifawa, conveyed Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the victims. 
   
He urged them to accept the tragic incident as the will of Allah, remain steadfast in faith and look forward to a better future.
  
The SSG disclosed that 14 people lost their lives in the attack, while four others sustained injuries.
  
He said each family of the deceased received three bags of rice and N500,000, while each of the four injured victims was given two bags of rice and N200,000 as support from the state government.
  
According to him, every other displaced person received one bag of rice and a transportation allowance of N5,000 to enable them return to their respective communities.
  
Earlier, the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Tukur Bala Bodinga, who is a member of the relief committee, assured the displaced persons that the state government was taking concrete steps to restore normalcy and facilitate their safe return to their communities.
  
He said the intervention was aimed at cushioning the hardship faced by the victims and urged them to continue praying for lasting peace, unity and security in Sokoto State and Nigeria.
  
Other members of the relief committee include the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi; the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Professor Attahiru Ahmad Sifawa; the Chairman of Bodinga Local Council; district heads; and party elders from the area.
  
The committee reaffirmed the Sokoto State Government’s commitment to supporting affected communities and ensuring that displaced persons receive the assistance needed to rebuild their lives.
  
A major highlight of the event was the formal presentation of cash assistance and relief materials to the victims.