Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed the immediate clearing of the Borgu National Park to make it habitable and establish permanent bases for all security agencies.

“The order is aimed at crushing criminal elements behind the insecurity that drove families from their villages and farmlands,” he said.

Bago announced that banditry and violence have forced 500,000 people from their homes across the state.

The governor said his administration was putting all machinery in place to ensure that homeless residents were reunited with their families.

Bago spoke at a presidential initiative on food distribution, nutritional items, and drugs to thousands of vulnerable residents hit by the humanitarian crisis in Borgu Local Government Area.

The governor stated that the displaced residents were scattered across Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, and Kaduna States, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Benin Republic.

“Frantic efforts are in place to ensure these people return home soonest,” the governor said, adding that the state was working closely with the Federal Government and development partners to address the situation.

The governor urged the people of Borgu to be patient, describing the federal food aid as a show of concern and immediate relief for those who lost everything.

The Emir of Borgu, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Haliru Dantoro Kitoro IV, described Bago as an exemplary leader who has consistently stood by his people amid the security crisis.

The emir urged the residents to remain calm while governments at all levels worked to restore safety.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, expressed appreciation to the Tinubu administration for its swift response and applauded Bago’s commitment to peace in the emirate.

Borgu Local Government Chairman Abdullahi Mohammed Nasir, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Inga, and the Jikadan Borgu hailed the federal and state authorities.

They noted that the aid would reduce the suffering of families who lost their sources of livelihood. (The Nation)