Authorities in Gwoza, Borno State, have begun sharing N8 million and relief materials with 360 people freed from suspected Boko Haram captivity.

Abba Timta, who heads the Gwoza local council, disclosed this while meeting survivors in Pulka on Monday. Governor Babagana Zulum had visited the group earlier the same day. A 3-minute video of Timta’s address surfaced Tuesday.

Timta told the gathering that the state government sent cash and food items for 372 people present. He said each person would get N21,000. He also warned that the food stock might not cover everyone.

“We received provisions from the state to pass to you all. The funds from the governor total N8 million, which comes to N21,000 per person. There are grains sent by government that we will hand out,” he said in the recording.

Due to limited supply, he said rice and maize would be given through separate lines. He urged recipients to swap items with one another if their needs differed. “If someone gets maize and another gets rice, you can exchange so everyone gets what they want,” he explained.

Timta added that mats would be given to all women in the group. He said more donations would be shared if they arrived later. He asked the survivors to pray for peace so they could resume farming and reduce dependence on aid.

The vice chairman, he said, would coordinate sharing of cash, mats, rice, maize and sugar.

Separate sources at the camp said those kidnapped from Askira-Uba LGA who were released with the Ngoshe group have already returned home after collecting their share.

During his visit, Zulum said money had been set aside to rebuild Ngoshe. He put the number of freed persons at about 434, noting that 360 were released two days prior while others returned weeks earlier. He said the government was working with troops to plan safe return for those willing to go back.

Source: PUNCH Online