By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum made an unscheduled stop during a visit to a resettled community, purchasing groundnuts from an elderly roadside trader in what his aide described as a reflection of the state’s ongoing recovery efforts.
According to the Governor’s Senior Technical Assistant on Print and Digital Communications, Abdurrahman Ahmed Bundi, the incident occurred on Sunday as the governor’s convoy was returning from a resettlement community.
Bundi said the convoy unexpectedly stopped at a village market, where the governor bought peanuts from an elderly woman identified as “Kaka Fanna,” a pseudonym used to protect her identity. He said the village, once deserted following attacks by insurgents, has gradually returned to normal, with residents resuming farming, trading, and other economic activities.
Bundi also stated that since 2019, the Zulum administration has supported the return of more than two million displaced persons to their communities. He added that thousands of refugees who fled to Niger, Chad, and Cameroon have been repatriated and resettled, while several internally displaced persons (IDP) camps have been closed as families returned home.
According to Bundi, the governor’s brief stop symbolised the progress made in rebuilding communities affected by insurgency and highlighted Zulum’s approach to engaging directly with residents during official visits.
