- Gov. Shettima discloses the number of widows, orphans, etc. and shows how much help Borno needs
Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, gave the world a sense of the devastation the people and the rest of Nigeria are confronted with. “The Boko Haram insurgency has led to the deaths of almost 100,000 persons going by the estimates of community leaders over the years,” noted the governor.“
Two million, one hundred and fourteen thousand (2,114,000) persons have become internally displaced as at December of 2016 with five hundred and thirty seven thousand, eight hundred and fifteen (537,815) in separate camps; 158.201 are at official camps that consist of six centres with two transit camps at Muna and Custom House, both in Maiduguri.
“There are 379,614 IDPs at satellite camps comprising Ngala, Monguno, Bama,Banki,Pulka, Gwoza, Sabon Gari and other locations in the state; 73,404 were forced to become refugees in neighbouring countries with Niger having 11,402 and Cameroon, 62,002. We have an official record of 652,311 orphans who are separated and unaccompanied. We have 54,911 widows who have lost their husbands to the insurgency and about 9,012 have returned to their communities…”
The following paints a picture of a people who cannot recognise who they were and have to reconcile themselves to lost husbands, lost means of livelihood, lost homes, lost parents, and so on. The implications are still dire. The Federal Government and the Borno State government have demonstrated in public their intention to restore their lives. But this will take not only time but enormous resources.
