Ray of Hope as Katsina IDPs Return Home

Francis Sardauna, who monitored the return of internally displaced persons in Katsina State to their ancestral home of Shimfida in Jibia Local Government Area, reports that the reigns of terror on the community may have ended

The relics of destruction in Shimfida community in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State by suspected terrorists remain a concrete evidence of the destructive frenzy and other heinous activities of the blood-thirsty terrorists on other frontline local government areas of the state.

The terrorists, according to investigation by THISDAY, ransacked the hard-to-reach community on March 10, 2022 which led to the apparent total destruction of over 5,000 homes, shops and public infrastructure, including schools, primary healthcare centre and mosques.

For instance, the terror raid on Shimfida town was carried out five months ago but evidences of the accompanying dangerous destruction are still glaring because over 300 houses, schools, shops and public worship centres are still in ruin stages, even as scores of citizens were reportedly killed by the criminals in the community.

A visit to the community by THISDAY on 8 August, 2022, revealed that aside the infrastructure, all the means of livelihood, including foodstuffs and other farm produce of the rural farmers killed and that of those who survived the deadly incursion, were all set ablaze by the attackers.

Survivors of the March 10 onslaught on the community, who are predominantly farmers and cattle rearers, were forced by the terrorists to abandon their farming and cattle rearing occupations with thousands hectares of arable farmland left uncultivated to Jibia town, the headquarters of Jibia Local Government.

However, there is a ray of hope for gradual return of peace to the terrorist- ravaged community following the resettlement and return of over 12,000 internally displaced persons to their ancestral Shimfida community by the state government under the leadership of Governor Aminu Bello Masari.

Accordingly, Governor Masari graciously approved and released a whooping sum of N88.6 million to the officials of Jibia Local Government and the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), which they said was judiciously used for the procurement of 2,000 bundles of zinc, 2,000 timbers and other roofing materials for rehabilitation of the community.

The state government also released another N18 million for the provision of hospital drugs and logistics for both the hitherto IDPs and essential workers returning to the community. Government also procured 13 brand new grinding machines and distributed to the returnees in order to replace those stolen by the terrorists during the invasion.

As if that was not enough, the governor in his restoration agenda of ensuring the protection and welfare of the internally displaced persons, purchased 1,000 pieces of mattresses and shared to them to tackle their challenges of sleeping materials. He equally approved the fixing of doors and windows of some houses that were carted away by the hoodlums in the community.

As part of efforts to restore education and healthcare delivery in the community, the Masari-led government has commenced assessment of the destroyed primary healthcare centre, primary and secondary schools in the community for the immediate reconstruction of the ruined health and educational facilities for effective and efficient healthcare delivery and education to thrive.

To ensure the protection of lives and property of the residents of the community against any further attack by the terrorists, the state government in collaboration with the federal government had deployed adequate security personnel (military and police) with sufficient armoured personnel carrier vehicles to the community.

Importantly, over 10,000 bags of rice and other assorted food items have been purchased by the state government for the feeding of the returnees pending the subsequent provision of other interventions by the government. This will significantly address the looming food shortage and other immediate humanitarian needs of the victims.

Addressing the returnees shortly after arrival at Shimfida community, the Chairman of Jibia Local Government Area, Hon. Bishir Sabi’u Maitan, said the government would continue to provide adequate security and relief materials to them in order to ensure that they carry out their legitimate business and farming activities in the community without hindrance.

Maitan stated that besides about N88.6m expanded by the state on the accommodation for the victims of terrorism in Shimfida, the government also approved N18 million for provision of drugs and logistics for the returnees and essential workers in the community.

“The state government under the able leadership of Governor Aminu Bello Masari will continue to support you (returnees) in the areas of provision of security and food items. Your return to this community today (Monday) is a great symbol signifying the gradual return of relative peace in Jibia LGA.

“As part of the government’s effort to protect your lives and property, Governor Masari has spoken to President Muhammadu Buhari and approval has been given so more soldiers will be deployed to this community”, the chairman added.

In his remarks, the chairman of Shimfida Youth Development Association, Sa’ad Salisu, commended the efforts of the state and local government in caring for the people, relocating and resettling them in their ancestral home. He, however, called on international organisations to support the government’s effort of rehabilitating the community.

But Aminatu Dan-mamman who was among the 12,000 IDPs that were returned to their ancestral home by the government, said: “We suffered a series of attacks in this community by the bandits so I am pleading with the government to put adequate security here to prevent future occurrence of such horrible attacks”.

A mother of 13 whose husband was killed by the terrorists in the community, Aminatu’s experience is same as that of many other returnees who were similarly displaced and also suffered untold hardship following the unlawful invasion of the community by terrorists.

She, however, called on the federal and state governments to construct the road that links the community with Jibia and Batsari local government areas. According to her, the un-motorable road has contributed to the spate of insecurity bedeviling the hitherto peaceful community, “the road is very bad and if there is any attack, security personnel do find it very cumbersome to intervene in time”.

Another returnee, Surajo Ibrahim, who lost his child in the attack that uprooted him and other residents from the community, declared that there was no place like home, adding that despite the calamity that befell him and others, it was good to return home and start afresh.

“I am a farmer and happy to return home. We thank the government and security agencies for making our return possible. We are also appealing to the government to help us financially to make our efforts to restart our lives easy as you can see, we are starting all over again,” he said.

For Habibu Khalid, it is jubilation galore because he will no longer remain an IDP in Jibia since his home has been liberated and safe enough for his return. “Finally, I am back to my hometown after five months of being an internally displaced person in Jibia. There is no place like home so I will remain”, he said while laughing.

With the restoration of security, law and order to the reclaimed community, he said, the immediate need would be the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and support for the people to return to their normal livelihoods, “so government should ensure speedy completion of all the destroyed infrastructures, particularly our houses”.

Similarly, Fatima Abdullahi, appealed to the security agencies to intensify patrol of the community and adjoining villages to prevent their assailants from coming to attack them again, adding that “it is also a thing of joy to be at home again”.

Although the state government has so far renovated over 100 houses in the community, there is urgent need for the government to ensure speedy reconstruction of other 300 houses recently destroyed by heavy downpour experienced in the community in order to enable the returnees to have adequate shelters.

Also, the speedy reconstruction of the community’s only primary healthcare centre, primary and secondary schools will go a long way in resuscitating the socio-economic, physical well-being and educational development of the returnees and their children.

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The state government under the able leadership of Governor Aminu Bello Masari will continue to support you (returnees) in the areas of provision of security and food items. Your return to this community today (Monday) is a great symbol signifying the gradual return of relative peace in Jibia LGA