Boko Haram destroyed 156,453 houses in Borno - Governor Shettima

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state, on Wednesday, May 24 said Boko Haram insurgents destroyed 156,453 houses in the state. The governor made this known in Maiduguri when he received a donation of building materials and food items by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons. The commission donated bundles of roofing sheets, wheel barrows, cartons of nails, cement, planks, shovels, head pan, among others, to the Borno state government. Governor Shettima said the insurgents also destroyed police stations and local government secretariats.The houses represent about 30 per cent of the housing stock in the state. “They also destroyed 5,344 classrooms in 21 primary schools, destroyed 38 secondary schools and and two tertiary institutions in the state. “The insurgents also destroyed 665 municipal buildings, including local government secretariat, police stations, as well as 201 health facilities.” Shettima, however, expressed happiness that the military had been able to degrade the insurgents to some extent, saying “we want to commend the federal government and the Nigerian Armed Forces for their giant stride in degrading the insurgents. “But more hands should be on deck now more than ever before to finally bring this madness to an end. “We want to specially show gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari and pray to God Almighty to grant him speedy recovery and good health to continue his good work.” Boko Haram's terror campaign left in its wake thousands of destroyed and abandoned homes The governor also said his government had evacuated 3,682 IDPs out of the 78,000 who fled to Cameroon at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency.Meanwhile, the new United Nations fund set up this year to tackle the looming famine in the North east has reached $24 million (N7.5 billion). The contributions were made for a stronger and timelier response to the needs of those affected by the ongoing crisis in the region. Development partners had raised an alarm that the victims face a high risk of food insecurity and disease outbreaks.