Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State joined thousands of other Muslim faithful to pray in Konduga, a town recently reclaimed from Boko Haram terrorists. Konduga is 40 kilometres southeast of Maiduguri.
The governor was accompanied by two senators from the state, Abubakar Kyari and Baba Garbai to pray with over 3, 500 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, who were resettled last week in the town.
Shettima said his decision to perform his Eid el- Kabir prayers in Konduga town is to prove that peace has returned to the area once occupied by terrorists, as well as to identify with the good people of Konduga who just returned home.
He said: “As you are all aware that in the last two years, this town, Konduga and of course over 20 communities in Borno state were not safe for our people.
“I want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari, our gallant troops of the Nigerian Army, members of the Civilian JTF and other security agencies in degrading the remnants of Boko Haram insurgents from Sambisa Forest and other hideouts.
“With relative peace; government in its determination, passion and commitment has started rebuilding, rehabilitating and resettling all our communities hitherto destroyed by these miscreants.”
“I urge the people of Konduga and the entire people of the state to remain prayerful and supportive to our troops and the present administration to ensure that peace, unity and progress are achieved to fully rebuild and rehabilitate the destroyed communities.”
Eid-el-Kabir prayers were held in many parts of Borno State for the first time in four years, an indication that peace is gradually return to the insurgency-torn state.
In recent years, eid prayers had been restricted to the state capital Maiduguri and few local governments due to the activities of Boko Haram terrorists in the state.
On Monday, however, prayers were conducted in some local governments including Konduga, Gwoza, Mafa and Ngala which had been reclaimed by troops, and people are gradually returning to their homelands.
Also residents of Maiduguri were allowed to move freely during the celebration as against what obtained in the last four years when movements were restricted due to security concerns.