The Borno State Security Council has approved the return of internally displaced persons dislodged from Bama Local Government Area to their hometown.

Secretary to the Borno State Government Usman Jidda conveyed the decision of the council in a press conference in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Bama local government is the most affected by the destruction of insurgency and has up to 120,000 IDPs, the highest in the state.

The affected IDPs would be returned in phases due to the large number of people involved.

According to the SSG, a special template is being designed to capture the essential personal data of all prospective returnees for the purpose of easy identification and clearance.

All IDPs who have been shortlisted to return would be accompanied by their respective district and ward heads.

He said, “The council after careful and meticulous assessment of the overall security situation in Bama town and its surroundings as well as the massive reconstruction effort of the state government, resolved that the time is now ripe and the atmosphere is favourable for the IDPs to go back to their homes in phases.”

This comes three days after the military open the Maiduguri/Bama/Banki road for the first time since 2014.

The Theatre commander operation Lafiya Dole Major General Rogers Nicholas assures civilians of their safety in and around Bama town.

Last year, the planned relocation of IDPs to Bama by the state government was shelved due to security concerns.