Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has called on residents to protect the deep bonds between Muslim and Christian communities as the state marks a peaceful Christmas season.
The governor said the period between the 2024 and 2025 Christmas celebrations reflected a year of relative peace, recovery, and renewed coexistence after years of insurgency.
Zulum made the call on Thursday in a Christmas message to the Christian community across the state, released through his spokesperson, Dauda Iliya.
He expressed gratitude to God for sparing lives and restoring calm to a state that endured over a decade of Boko Haram violence.
The governor noted that peace in Borno is no longer limited to physical reconstruction but is also reflected in improved tolerance, goodwill, and harmony among religious communities.
He said the insurgency once threatened to destroy the long-standing Muslim-Christian bonds that define family and social life in the state.
Zulum explained that many families in Borno include members of different faiths who live together, share meals, celebrate festivals, and grieve losses as one household.
He described this interfaith family structure as the state’s greatest strength and urged citizens to allow it to guide personal and community interactions.
The governor revealed that his administration recently held a high-level consultation meeting with leaders of Jama’atu Nasril Islam and the Christian Association of Nigeria to strengthen cooperation on peacebuilding.
He said religious leaders play a critical role in promoting tolerance, unity, and stability across communities affected by insecurity.
Zulum also announced continued government support for the Christian community during the festive period as part of his commitment to fairness and inclusion.
He listed interventions including free transportation for non-indigenes, humanitarian support for more than 6,000 vulnerable Christians, cash assistance to widows and orphans, and sponsorship of Christian pilgrimages.
The governor said such support would continue whenever the need arises, regardless of religious affiliation.
Zulum is currently on a four-day security and resilience-building tour across northern Borno, where he is visiting military formations to boost troop morale and engaging communities affected by insurgency.
He urged all residents, irrespective of faith, to unite in the collective pursuit of lasting security, peaceful coexistence, and sustainable recovery as the foundation for Borno’s long-term prosperity.
