Nigerian Agency Reveals Number Of Houses Boko Haram Destroyed In Northeast Region In 12 Years
The terrorists have also rendered over 2.2 million persons, including women and children homeless during their 12-year violent hostilities in the region.
This was disclosed in Gombe State by the Managing Director of Northeast Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Alkali; during the commission’s ongoing groundbreaking, for the construction of 3,500 houses across the region.
Alkali further disclosed that the mass housing project was NEDC’s intervention, aimed at bridging the dire housing gap in the Northeast.
Borno State, being the epicentre of Boko Haram destruction, has 1,000 houses already built by the commission, according to Alkali.
At a ceremony on September 02, 2021, the 1,000 houses at Ngowom Village, in the Mafa Local Government of Borno State was formally handed over to the Governor of Borno State, Professor Baba-Gana Zullum
Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states each have 500 housing units currently under construction.
Besides housing intervention, the NEDC said it had reconstructed the Kudzum bridge linking Adamawa and Borno states.
The bridge, located in the Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, was blown off by Boko Haram terrorists seven years ago.
By Binebai Princewill in
Two other bridges under construction in the area are those of Dlichim village and Wuro-Ngayandi in the Michika and the Madagali local government areas respectively.
Alkali further disclosed that the NEDC has responded to a call by United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Ambassador Edward Kallon for a joint effort to address food insecurity in the Northeast.
He said, “You may also wish to be informed that the stock of houses in the North-East region before the insurgency was about 4 million, out of which over 500,000 structures (houses and commercial premises) were destroyed or irreparably damaged.
“Even before the insurgency, there was housing deficit in all the states of the region.
“Therefore, the insurgency only further aggravated the situation.
“On August 5, 2021, Amb. Kallon issued a press statement in Maiduguri on the need for the Humanitarian Community, the United Nations, and Non-Governmental Organisations to join efforts to address the rapidly deteriorating food insecurity situation in the North-East Region.
“Consequent to the above, the Commission swung into action and came up with a plan for the distribution of food items to address the rapidly deteriorating food insecurity situation in the North-East Region, starting with Borno State on 02/09/2021.”
