Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri 

The Nigerian Army has returned residents of Borno town who were evacuated from their communities over Boko Haram threats early this week.

Residents of Jankana, a small community along Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, some 25 kilometres to Maiduguri, Borno capital, were evacuated to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri, by the military troops, on Monday, over what military authority called operational reason.

Daily Sun saw dozens of the residents with their luggage, early yesterday, at the Bakassi camp, even as some military trucks and escort vehicles were parked near the arena, where the evacuated residents assembled. 

Some military personnel and officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were seen making plans to commence the return of the people to Jakana.

About five trucks were later seen conveying the evacuated residents by midday, with NEMA North East spokesman, Abdulkadir Ibrahim,  confirming  the move to relocate the evacuated Jakana residents.

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“The Nigerian military and camp management officials at Bakassi IDPs camp preparing for the relocation of the evacuated people of Jankana back to their community, after conclusion of military operations to flush out insurgents in the area,” he said in a statement.

He said the relocation will commence with evacuation of women, children and the other vulnerable groups before the men.

“Food and non food items are being mobilised by NEMA for distribution in Jankana community, to reduce the effect of the disruption of economic activities as a result of the evacuation,” he disclosed.

Some of the residents told Daily Sun that  they were hurriedly evacuated on Monday, by the military troops without any previous information.

Spokesman of the Operation Lafiya Dole, Col Ado Isa,  said the move was to prevent collateral damage, following an ongoing military operation to flush out Boko Haram from the area.

There was no official statistics of the evacuated residents, but the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria puts the figure at roughly 10,000.