I’ll be regular here, says Zulum as he establishes an office in Auno

Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno, has directed that a community outreach office be established in Auno, a town few kilometres away from Maiduguri, the state capital. 

In February, suspected Boko Haram insurgents killed 30 persons in an attack on passengers in the town. 

Visiting the town on Saturday to inspect projects, Zulum said the decision to open an outreach in Auno is to rebuild public confidence as many residents had fled the town for Maiduguri could return.  

Zulum, who currently operates offices at the government house and the state’s secretariat, said the new outreach will be a place he will be operating for the purpose of having direct interactions with the residents in Auno, and nearby communities in Konduga and Kaga local government areas. 

“To encourage those that have left to come back. As I have earlier said Auno is a very strategic town but because of the lingering security situation in Auno, most of the population have relocated to Maiduguri, Auno is only six kilometres away from the Borno State University, dislodging Auno would mean dislodging Maiduguri which has more than half the population of Borno,” he said. 

“We have to take measures to secure Auno like we should do for all parts of the state. I am establishing a community outreach that will be used by me and I will be regular here.” 

The governor also directed the ministry of reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement to immediately provide food items and cash to the few people currently living in the town. 

“While fighting against COVID-19, we have to be very careful of other sectors, Auno is an agrarian community, and it is now a rainy season, people need to go back to their farmlands. Most of the people in Maiduguri use to farm in Auno, it is therefore imperative on us to focus more on Auno in terms of security provisions,” he said. 

He also appealed to the Nigerian Army to relocate its formation from its existing location to Auno Secondary School, which is ahead of the town. 

That way, he suggested, citizens could feel safer. 

The governor made a similar call on the Borno police command to increase police presence in Auno to strengthen civil authority in the town.