Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has given N600,000 and bags of food items to the families of 48 rice farmers killed in a community in Zabarmari.
The gift items were given on Thursday by a committee assigned by the Governor to convey those items to the victims who were butchered by Boko Haram last Saturday.
The fund came from combined support of N20m by the northern governor’s forum, and N5m by the northeast development commission, NEDC. Borno government had earlier given each family N200,000 on Zulum’s directive.
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 the house of representatives, representing Jere federal constituency, member of Borno assembly representing Jere, two special Advisers and chairman-elect, for Jere local government.
Zabarmari, where the victims lived, is located at Jere, in the central part of Borno State.
A total of 13,000 Bag of Rice, Maize and Beans, 1,300 cans of vegetable oil,2116 cartons of seasoning Cubes, 1083 Tomato and 650 sachets of salts were donated by 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.
