Since the recapture of some territories hitherto occupied by Boko Haram in Yobe state, residents of Mandunari are the only people who are yet to return to their ancestral homes due to pockets of attacks in their domains.
This development has drawn the attention of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which is collaborating with the Yobe Government to reintegrate and resettle the displaced persons in their villages in a dignified manner.
Boko Haram was in control of a few communities in Yobe state in 2012.
In 2014, the military drove the sects out of Buniyadi and other nearby areas.
Even still, several places remain dangerous for residents to return to.
One of these communities, Mandunari, is thought to be the combatants’ enclave.
Locals who have been moved are unable to farm, trade, or engage in the numerous crafts for which they are recognized.
Residents of Mandunari are overjoyed to see government vehicles moving into the neighborhood after such a long period.
The Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, is leading a team of UNDP experts to examine the amount of destruction caused by Boko Haram in order to restore the hamlet.
The inspection team visited the Government Secondary School Goniri, which was burned down by insurgents during their tenure in the village.
Mr. Muhammad Yahya, UNDP Resident Representative, lauds the tenacity of the people of Mandunari and Goniri villages in his remarks shortly after the inspection.
Due to a series of attacks on their community, the residents of Mandunari village have been deprived of farming, trading, and indulging in the numerous crafts for which they are recognized.
The United Nations Development Programme’s team head promised the Yobe State government continued help in its efforts to reconstruct communities damaged by the insurgency.
