By Mamman Mohammed
Hajiya Falmata Kyellumi stood like a statue, staring at the ruins of her house being the first time she would set eyes on the house after the insurgents invaded his village; Buni Yadi, Yobe, two years ago.
She tried to recollect the comfort and good times her family had enjoyed in the house that has now been reduced to debris; and suddenly, balls of tears rolled down her cheeks.
Falmata, a 62-year old mother of six, fled Buni Yadi alongside others before the capture of the town by Boko Haram insurgents.
They returned to the town for the first time in two years but not to the same town they know and love.
When the military authorities on April 16 declared Buni Yadi open and safe for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled the community to relocate back, thousands of people, including Falmata, thronged the town but were welcomed with a heart broken gory sight of a ghost town.
They could not believe the scale of destruction on their houses and the town as they wept uncontrollably.
The ever busy Damaturu-Buni Yadi-Biu federal highway that links several communities and promote socio-economic activities was also re-opened for public use after its closure for the same period of Boko Haram occupation of the communities.
Substantial part of Buni Yadi, the headquarters of Gujba Local Government Area was destroyed by the insurgents.
Scores of people were killed. Government structures, personal houses, business premises, cars, trucks and livestock were either destroyed or looted.
The insurgents besieged Buni Yadi in February 2014 when 59 students were killed and 24 buildings destroyed at the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi.
Since then, the growing activities of the sect in the area have been a source of concern for the residents of Buni Yadi and Bara, the headquarters of Gujba and Gulani local government areas respectively.
They killed and set houses and business premises ablaze as they took control of the towns and the adjourning villages while many housewives and girls were abducted.
Although Nigeria’s security forces fought and recaptured the two local government areas in early 2015, ambush operations and land mines planted by the insurgents hampered a good fight from the security forces.
However, the inauguration of a new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari ushered in a new approach with vigour and determination to defeat insurgency.
At the end of the December 2015 dateline, Boko Haram insurgency was technically defeated.
Although the insurgents resorted to bomb attacks on institutions and public gatherings, there was growing confidence among the civilian population to join the armed forces to fight the sect.
Mr Modu Aji, a displaced person, in emotion laden voice said, “those of us who survived the numerous attacks of the insurgents, never thought we shall ever have such a day again when we will set our feet on the soil of Buni Yadi.
“We appreciate the Federal Government, Chief of Army Staff Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai and the heroic security forces for liberating all communities that were hitherto under the control of the insurgents.
“Although the damages were enormous with daunting challenges, there is no place like home, we will take the challenge and with support from state and Federal Government, we will rebuild the community and restart our lives.’’
Prof. Sunday Ochoche, Executive Director, Presidential Committee Victims Support Fund, who led an assessment tour of communities affected by Boko Haram insurgency in Yobe, described damage done to the communities as “terrible and tragic.
“Buni-Yadi had suffered total destruction far beyond what the people or the state government alone can do to significantly reconstruct the town.
“There is a challenge before the international community to reconstruct and rehabilitate the communities destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents.’’
Observers believe that there is a herculean task before Yobe, Federal Government, humanitarian agencies and the international community to assist the victims in reconstructing their lives and rehabilitate the communities.
According to Brig.-Gen. Clement Apere, Commander, 27 Task Force Brigade, Buni Yadi, more than 18,000 people have returned to Buni Yadi.
He observed that more were willing to return but lack of basic amenities including water, electricity, schools and health institutions were major challenges to the resettlement and rehabilitation process of the liberated communities.
Although Yobe government has provided food and other relief items to IDPs who returned to their communities, the victims said shelter was the most challenging problem they faced, especially during rainy season.
Narrating his experience, Mr Abubakar Muhammad, a returnee, said he shared one room with his two wives and four children.
Mr Makinta Lawan, another returnee, said: “I have been out of job for the past two years as an IDP in Damaturu, we are back home with the hope to cultivate the farms but shelter is our major challenge.’’
Similarly, Mr Audu Isa, a livestock merchant, said his house was completely destroyed and had to leave his family in Jakusko.
“I want all of us to return back but we can’t because, there is no shelter, we lost the entire house to the insurgency,’’ he said.
Irrespective of the challenges, the Chief of Army staff, Gen. Buratai, said the relocation of the community back home would consolidate the victory over Boko Haram insurgency.
“This would impact positively to the current military operations in the general area as a major milestone in the achievement of the troops and encourage vibrant economic activities,’’ he said.
Inaugurating the Damaturu-Biu road, Buratai observed that the road would boost economic activities among Yobe, Borno, Adamawa and Gombe.
“The road provides a vital link to the economic wellbeing of Yobe state as it provides easy link between a large number of communities,’’ he said.
Observers note that Buni Yadi was known for robust agricultural activities because of its location on the southern fringes of the state.
They stress the need to support the people to go back into agricultural production and the famed livestock farming by reconstructing the communities quickly.
They opine that with the assistance of National Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross, World Health Organisation, United Nations Population Fund, World Food Programme and Action Against Hunger, among others, the rehabilitation of the areas would be faster.(NANFeatures)