Hope restored as displaced Bauchi community residents return home
Residents of Mansur community in Alkeleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State have returned to their homes nearly two months after fleeing terrorist attacks. Their return followed clearance operations codenamed
Residents of Mansur community in Alkeleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State have returned to their homes nearly two months after fleeing terrorist attacks.
Their return followed clearance operations codenamed Bugun Karkanda III, by troops of the Nigerian Army 33 Artillery Brigade in line with directives from the Army Headquarters, Abuja.
A statement by the spokesman for the Brigade, Lt. Oluwakemi Fagbolagun, said the troops were supported by a follow-up Operation Wutan Daji, which dislodged terrorists from several strongholds across Bauchi, Plateau and Taraba states.
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Mansur had been deserted since February 26,, when armed terrorists attacked the village, forcing residents to flee their homes and farmlands.
Military authorities said the operations cleared terrorists from Dajin Madam Forest in Plateau State and Kumbodoro Forest in Taraba State, as well as Yankari Game Reserve, Bogwas and Rimi in Bauchi State.
Other locations secured include Odere Forest, Shirnagol, Wanka and Kukarlwa in Plateau State, alongside Kumbodoro town and Angwan Jauro Sule in Taraba State.
Following the clearance phase, troops transitioned to consolidation involving the handover of liberated communities to security agencies and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to maintain order and facilitate the return of displaced residents.
Residents were seen singing and dancing as they re-entered the community, inspecting their homes and clearing overgrown compounds, the statement added.
Community leaders, it said, commended the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen Waidi Shaibu, for restoring security to the area, describing the return of displaced persons as the beginning of normal life in Mansur. Soldiers now patrol the community to reassure residents and sustain stability.
