The Periscope Reporter
More than 48 rice farmers were killed by Boko Haram insurgents who claimed to be on a vengeance mission at Zabarmari in Jere local government area few kilometers to Maiduguri, the headquarters of Borno state, Nigeria, on November 28, 2020.
The fund and the food items were donations from the northern governors forum and the North-East Development Commission, (NEDC).
Saina Buba, commissioner for youth and sports, who supervised the distribution of the items, said the fund was to provide relief for the bereaved families.
“48 bereaved families of Zabarmari farmers killed last Saturday, today received N600,000 each and bags of food items from a committee assigned by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum to transparently convey external donations to the victims.
“The fund came from combined support of N20m by the northern governors forum, and N5m by the Northeast Development Commission, NEDC.
“A committee, chaired by Borno’s commissioner for youths and sports, Saina Buba undertook Thursday’s distribution in Zabarmari. The committee included a member of house of representatives, representing Jere federal constituency, member of Borno assembly representing Jere, two special advisers and chairman-elect, for Jere local government.
“A total of 13,000 bags of rice, maize and beans, 1,300 cans of vegetable oil, 2,116 cartons of seasoning cubes, 1,083 tomato and 650 sachets of salt were donated by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development for distribution to the families, Committee Chairman, Buba announced.
He noted that each family was to combine the N600,000 cash and food varieties not as compensation for the deaths of their loved ones, but to reduce hardship resulting from gaps in access to livelihoods created by the death of mostly male victims, who are breadwinners of those affected.
The chairman further explained that the state government would take responsibility of extending the same gesture to any family later to be discovered as being claimed by the heinous attack.