Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno has approved N12.8 million assistance for 641 Borno indigenes who qualified for the final screening in the recruitment into the Nigerian Army.

Borno has been ravaged and living in the shadow of vicious Boko Haram insurgents for many years, with several hundreds of people killed and thousands displaced, including children and women.

Mr Zulum announced the assistance on Wednesday in Maiduguri in a farewell address to the candidates preparing to leave for the final screening exercise in Falgore Forest in Kano.

The governor, who disclosed that each candidate would get N20,000, said his administration would provide a N15,000 monthly allowance for the indigenes throughout their training.

Mr Zulum urged them to be good ambassadors of the state, adding that Borno hoped most of them would be recruited and deployed in the state to fight the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists.

“I commend your patriotism for choosing to enlist into the (Nigerian) Army. However, as citizens of Borno, I advise that you should be good ambassadors of our state,” said the governor.

Earlier, an officer identified himself as Maj. Garba informed Mr Zulum that 1,521 candidates from the 27 local government areas of Borno turned out for the screening exercise.

He said out of this, 641, including 150 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force assisting the military in fighting against the insurgents, qualified for the final stage.