The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has donated food and non-food items to 390 ex-insurgents that graduated from the federal government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme in Gombe State.

Zubaida Umar, director-general of the agency, said this while presenting the items during the graduation of the ex-insurgents at the DRR Camp in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area of the state.

Represented by Air Cdr. Abang Oyon, director of search and rescue, NEMA, Mrs Umar handed over the items to the coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brig.-Gen. Yusuf Ali, for subsequent distribution to the beneficiaries.

She said that food and non-food items were given to help them to stabilise after the de-radicalisation programme and facilitate their seamless reintegration into the society.

Mrs Umar said that the federal government was committed to address security challenges in the country, and commended the resilience of the armed forces for using kinetic and non-kinetic approaches in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in the country.

The NEMA boss lauded President Bola Tinubu for expanding the scope of the OPSC to cover the six geo-political zones, especially with the inclusion of the North-West and establishment of a DRR camp in Zamfara.

Mrs Umar further reiterated commitment to disaster management and prevention by engaging stakeholders towards ensuring collective approach to tackle disaster-related issues in the country.

She advised Nigerians in flood prone communities to relocate to minimise the impact of the disaster from this year’s rainy season as predicted by NiMet.

Earlier, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno State commended the gesture, adding that it would help the clients to tackle the economic hardship as they were being reintegrated into their communities.

Represented by Zuwaira Gambo, commissioner for women affairs and social development, Mr Zulum said the starter packs, food and non-food items as well as N50,000 cash, given to the beneficiaries would fast track their reintegration into the society.

He reiterated commitment to support citizens of the state and rebuild communities affected by the insurgency towards ensuring that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps remained closed in the state.

Also speaking, Col. Abiodun Johnson, commandant, DRR Camp, Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC), said that the 390 ex-insurgents graduating from the camp comprised six foreigners and 384 Nigerians, who had been rehabilitated and ready for reintegration.

Mr Johnson lauded NEMA and other partners for their support, adding that it would help the clients not to consider going back to crimes.

He urged host communities to embrace and help the clients reintegrate into the society, adding that, “they are not the same persons as they were”.

Each beneficiary got a starter pack according to area of training and N50,000.

Other items included 400 bags of rice (25kg); 400 bags of maize (25kg), 400 bottles of vegetable oil, 40 cartons of seasoning, 40 cartons of tomato paste, 20 bags of iodised salt, 400 pieces of bath towels, 800 pieces of plastic plates and 800 pieces of plastic spoons.

(NAN)