By Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
One hundred and sixty-two widows of slain members of youth vigilance group were yesterday given relief materials by the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (BOSEMA).
The widows would also have their children’s education bills offset from primary to tertiary level by the Borno State Government, the Chairman of BOSEMA, Mr. Ahmed Satomi, said during the presentation of the relief materials.
Speaking during the donation of the relief materials, which include food items and sets of clothing to the widows, Satomi said: “I want to sympathise with you as widows, your husbands who died in the course of fighting insurgents have paid a supreme price to our dear state and the North-east in general, may their souls rest in peace.
“We are donating these items to cushion your immediate hardship, and to boost the morale of those who are on the forefront in the fight against remnants of Boko Haram sect.”
He promised: “The gesture is going to be continuous and would be extended to local hunters and other vigilantes across the state.
“These group of people have sacrificed their lives to ensure peace in the state, they have been wonderful not only on the forefront in complementing effort of security agencies and the government, but also assisting in taking care of over a million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in our various camps across the state.
“I promise that SEMA will also pay scholarship to the children of the deceased Civilian JTF members to further their education up to tertiary level,” Satomi said.
One of the widows, who gave her name as Mrs. Halima Abba Mohammed, in an interview said, she lost her husband in one of the Boko Haram attacks around Sambisa Forest when their operational vehicle stepped on landmines last year.
She however said since then, life has never been easy for her, but thanked SEMA and the Borno State Government for giving her a sense of belonging by periodically donating relief items to cater for her family.
He urged wives of serving Civilian JTF members to always pray and support their husbands in the fight against insurgents.
