Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State on Thursday disclosed that about N15.8 billion has been expended on fighting Boko Haram insurgency for three years in the state.

The governor made this known when the House Committee Chairmen on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Emergency Disaster Preparedness (EDP) paid him an official visit at the Government House, Damaturu.

Gaidam lamented that the colossal sum could have been expended on execution of several development projects that could improve the living condition of the people across the state.

Speaking on how funds were expended, Gaidam said:

“The immediate past federal administration failed to finance the fight effectively and fully. The state government had to deploy the meagre resources at its disposal to support the campaign in areas of payment of allowances to security operatives, procurement of vehicles, logistics, medical assistance to security operatives and vigilante groups, maintenance of vehicles, all totaling N13.7 billion.

“Government also incurred expenditures in the provision of relief materials and medical assistance to victims of insurgency, thereby bringing the amount to N15.8 billion as at the first quarter of 2017.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of House Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), Sani Zoro, said the National Assembly would ensure that monies spent on fighting insurgency, are refunded.