Operation Last Hold: 32, 609 IDPs return home

Not fewer than 32, 609 former Internally Displaced Person (IDPs) have voluntarily returned to their ancestral homes in Northern Borno state, within two months of inauguration of Operation Last Hold by the Nigerian Army.
Operation Last Hold, humanitarian operation, was inaugurated in May 1, 2018, to facilitate quick return of IDPs to their ancestral homes and economic recovery of Northern Borno state.
Army spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu said at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) which was held in Monguno from June 29 to July 6, 2018, that 22, 500 persons returned to Gudumbali, while 10, 109 returned to their ancestral homes in Kukawa in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno state.
It will be recalled that on May 2018, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai inaugurated additional 49 combat and armoured personnel vehicles aimed at enhancing Operation Last Hold.
Shortly after, army chief inaugurated nine gunboats for the Amphibious Task Force Detachment at Baga, for patrol and clearing the remaining Boko Haram terrorists from the Lake Chad waterways.
He called on displaced people in Borno-North to return home to restart their lives as their communities are now safe and secured.
He urged them to leverage on the deployment of Operation Last Hold to return to their communities which have long been liberated by our gallant troops.
He said roads linking communities within these areas have been cleared of improvise explosive devices (IEDs) as well as insurgent activities as they can no longer pose any credible threats to your daily routine.
On June 14, 2018, Buratai, represented by the Chief of Training and Operations, Maj. Gen. David Ahmadu visited Gudumbali to perform “sharan gona” and “sharan daji”, (clearing of house and clearing of bush) to commence farming activities for the people and assured that their security is guaranteed.
Buratai also visited Gudumbali on where he performed a sanitation exercise with senior army officers, as part of activities marking the 2018 Nigerian Army Day Celebration.
He also inaugurated a cenotaph at Gudumbali in memory of troops, who paid the supreme price.
He confirmed that the town was one of the strongholds of the Boko Haram terrorists in Borno North during the heat of the insurgency.