Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has donated N180 million and 27,000 bags of grains to the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, assisting the military in the fight against insurgency.
Mr Zulum announced the donation on Wednesday in Maiduguri while addressing members of the CJTF.
He also announced N50,000 welfare package for widows and scholarship for orphans of CJTF who lost their lives since 2013 in the fight against insurgency.
He said: “Our indomitable men and women of the Civilian JTF, hunters and vigilantes, the people of Borno are mightily and gratefully proud of you.
“Nothing can compensate for the sacrifices you are making; only Allah can adequately compensate each of you.
“This is particularly so for many of our fellow compatriots who have died in the battle fields.
“In the last seven years, we have recorded instances in which volunteers in the Civilian JTF have intercepted suicide attackers and in the process lost their lives.
“We have recorded more instances of many killed in major battles after they also succeeded in our shared victories over Boko Haram at different encounters.
“I will not mention names, but there are records of warriors in the Civilian JTF, hunters and vigilantes from southern to northern and central Borno.
“They fought so hard and gave their lives fighting for Borno.’’
Mr Zulum noted that these volunteers fought and died with no death benefits, no pension, and no gratuities.
“As we should expect, orphaned children and widows left behind by these fallen Civilian JTF and hunters have been struggling to feed, to access medical services, or to access basic and secondary education.
“As governor of Borno, I assure you, that insha’Allah, all of those who died in the Civilian JTF, groups of hunters and vigilantes did not die in vain,” Mr Zulum said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that about 9,000 people in Borno were recruited into CJTF and are paid monthly stipend by the state government.
NAN
