The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has described the return of 1,200 displaced residents of Baga in Borno as a major milestone in the Federal Government’s ongoing war against insurgency.

The BMO in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja said this was because the famous fishing community was at the epicentre of Boko Haram insurgency activities since 2013.

The statement signed by its Chairman, Mr Niyi Akinsiju, and Secretary, Mr Cassidy Madueke, recalled that in 2013, at least 185 people were killed and over 2,000 homes destroyed by the terror group.

The statement said that the return of Baga residents after seven years of being displaced was a clear sign of the gradual return to normalcy.

“Any keen observer of the Boko Haram insurgency can easily recall that the fishing community located close to the shores of Lake Chad, had for years witnessed at least two massacres at the height of the insurgency.

“About 185 people were killed in the first one recorded in 2013, while unofficial accounts indicates that close to 2,000 residents died in a January 2015 incident,” the statement said.

It further said that the development had since been described as the largest massacre by the terrorists since the insurgents took up arms.

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The statement said that presently, survivors of the genocide have formally returned to Doron Baga which Boko Haram considered as a place of economic interest.

This, the statement said was because of the immense large scale fishing activities in the area.

It noted that if the community was not safe, it would be impossible for the people who had been living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in neighbouring Monguno town to be comfortable.

According to the statement, the return of the displaced residents is a pointer to the success of the war against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province in the North-East.

“For at least two years, the military had pushed the insurgents to the fringes of Lake Chad after dislodging them from the large swathe of territories they occupied prior to the advent of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“So it is not surprising that a chunk of their evil activities were restricted to the vicinity of the Lake as recently as late 2020,” it said.

The statement said this was when Boko Haram terrorists ambushed the convoy of Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno on the outskirts of Baga.

It noted that today, the troops have created an atmosphere for the return of socio-economic activities in the fishing community.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the town which lost 3,100 structures in the 2015 massacre, according to Amnesty International, now has its homes and public institutions rebuilt.

“This confirms what President Buhari and the military authorities have been saying about the success of the ongoing war against the insurgents,” it stated.

The statement commended Gov. Babagana Zulum for giving N10,000 each to 716 women and 486 men of the community, aside food items and clothing.

The group urged other state governors to take a cue from Zulum by cooperating with security agencies to guarantee the security and welfare of people in their domains.