After Years of Displacement, Returnees Find Hope in Malam Fatori’s Rebirth

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‎By: Adamu Aliyu Ngulde, Maiduguri, Nigeria
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‎Families returning from Niger are being registered by a local committee as the northeastern border town slowly begins to rebuild.
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‎Under a small canvas tent in the heart of Malam Fatori, dozens of returnees waited patiently in line. Their faces were tired but hopeful, their hands clutching simple notebooks -symbols of documentation and belonging.

They came from neighboring communities across the Niger border- Garin Wanzam, Toumour, and Bosso- to register their return home after years of displacement caused by the Boko Haram insurgency. ‎ ‎At a wooden desk, Mohammed Aji, known locally as M. GAS, secretary of the Malam Fatori Resettlement Committee, carefully recorded each name in a worn ledger-a quiet act that carried deep meaning for a community rebuilding from loss.

“We have a notebook to register all the new returnees,” Aji told the International News Syndicate. “I praise their unity as they wait, and I remind them to remain united with those who returned earlier.”

‎Aji expressed gratitude to the Borno State Government, led by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, for empowering the committee to coordinate the resettlement effort.
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‎“The government has given us the chance to serve our people,” he said. “It shows real commitment to helping Malam Fatori rise again.”
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‎Among the returnees was Ya-Hauwa Mohammed, who fled the town during the height of jihadist violence. Standing near her childhood home, she smiled, barely able to believe she had made it back.
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‎“I am happy today,” she said. “This is my ancestral home- I was forced to leave because of the insurgency, but now I’m back.”
‎She urged other displaced residents still in Niger to prepare for their return.
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‎“Some people are farming again, and some are catching fish,” she said. “Malam Fatori is alive- our home is waiting for us.”

‎Ya-Hauwa also thanked M. GAS and Professor Usman A. Tar, who have been working with the committee to assess community needs and relay them to the state government.
‎“They are helping us settle down and speak for what we need from the Borno State Government,” she said.
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‎For many in this once-deserted town on the edge of Lake Chad, the return of residents is a fragile but vital sign of hope. The scars of conflict remain: shattered buildings, abandoned farmlands, and lingering fears. Yet the scene under the small tent, where names are carefully written into a notebook, speaks to something enduring: the determination of a people to reclaim their home.
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‎“This registration means more than just names,” Aji said, looking up from his book. “It means Malam Fatori lives again.”
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