According to the Federal Government, preparations are in place to start the process of repatriating Nigerians who sought asylum in neighboring Chad, Niger Republic, and Cameroon.
Following a meeting with Borno Governor Babagana Zulum, Ahmed Tijjani, the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, announced this on Thursday in Maiduguri. Tijjani went on to reveal that the government has also decided to shut the last camps for internally displaced people in Maiduguri and quickly relocate the displaced people back to their ancestral homes.
“We discussed the evacuation of refugees from Cameroon, Niger and Chad. It was agreed that a tripartite meeting would be held. “The commission will sit and come out with the process and procedure to apply in evacuating our people. “Registration of refugees for the voluntary evacuation is ongoing in collaboration with the UN Agency for Refugees (UNHCR),” the minister stated.
He, however, applauded the Borno state government for its commitment to the welfare of the people welfare while assuring the commission’s support at all times. He noted that the commission had already established a resettlement city in Amarwa Village in the Konduga Local Government Area of the state for the returnees with provisions for schools, clinics, markets, a police outpost and skill acquisition centre among others. Recall that thousands of Nigerians affected by the Boko Haram insurgency had fled to the neighbouring countries at the peak of the insurgency.
