Shettima Aborts Foreign Trip, Returns Home Over Bama Attacks

BEVERLY HILLS, September 03, (THEWILL) - The Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, is back in Nigeria after aborting his trip to Sudan and the United Kingdom. He had embarked on the trip last week to visit the schools where over 70 Borno indigenes recently sponsored by his Administration are studying.

But the governor had to return to Nigeria following Boko Haram attacks on Bama and the threat by the insurgents to seize the town. He had since arrival been consulting with authorities in Abuja over the security situation in his state and is expected to return to Maiduguri, the state capital, Wednesday evening.

He would also supervise the activities of committee set up to coordinate distribution of relief and management of victims of the crisis.

Confirming the return of the governor in a statement, Wednesday, Shettima's media aide, Mallam Isa Gusau, said : “Shettima returned mainly to provide needed leadership, be with his people, build public confidence, coordinate relief for victims, step up co-funding and psychological support for military.”

According to the statement, the governor left Nigeria Sunday night and was scheduled to meet officials at a University in Sudan where 50 female indigenes of the State are currently studying under a government-sponsored programme.

“Shettima was also to be in United Kingdom to meet 20 students undergoing Petroleum Geo-Sciences in addition to signing agreements for other human capacity development programs and a follow up meeting with a water systems company required for domestic use and irrigation agriculture in Borno aimed at boosting jobs creation as a strategy to discourage economic based recruitment by Boko Haram insurgents,” the statement said.