Borno local council begs military to reopen roads

eager to see the return to normalcy in communities, the Kukawa Council Chairman in Borno state, Alhaji Habib Ali Kekeno has pleaded with the Nigerian military to re-open the closed roads in the Lake Chad Basin areas for possible relocation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The roads were closed due to the activities of the insurgents, which led to the relocation of residents to the IDP camps.

Kekeno who disclosed this in Maiduguri, while addressing over 4,500 IDPs at the Monguno Teachers Village camp, said displaced persons could return to their ancestral homes before the end of this month. “Our people are full of eagerness to return home; even without rebuilding their destroyed houses by Federal and state governments.”

“Transporting the IDPs back home would assist in resuscitating the buoyant commercial activities in the area that was crippled by Boko Haram insurgents for two years. They insisted that rebuilding their houses will not be a problem for now; as long as the military will re-open the Monguno – Baga road.”

Kekeno stated that the IDPs were tired of being idle at the camps; while many resources are laying waste in the border area with Chad. “We have also agreed that there’s need for us to clear both sides of the roads for motorists’ visibility. Now that the insurgency is over, the military should speed up the opening of the Monguno -Cross Kauwa – Baga Doro – Cross Kauwa and Kukawa roads for the resumption of commercial activities in the liberated areas”, he said.

He explained that about 8,000 locals in Baga are engaged in farming and fishing, while others come to Monguno to purchase food items without any security threats on the road.

He further stated that normalcy has also been restored in Baga and people often walk from Baga to Monguno, which is about 42 kilometres to sell and buy products.