Borno Govt Concludes Repatriation of 3,122 Refugees From Cameroon
The Borno State government has concluded the repatriation of 3,122 refugees from Cameroon with the fourth and final batch of 680 refugees arriving Banki in Bama Local Government Area of the state on Thursday.
The Nigerian refugees were taking shelter in Minawao Refugee Camp in Cameroon for about a decade.
The evacuation of the refugees was conducted with the support of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The phased repatriation, which began on 27th January, started with the arrival of 300 people in Pulka, Gwoza local government, and subsequently in Banki, Bama local government.
In his farewell message, Governor of Cameroon’s Far North region, Minjinyawa Bakari, lauded Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for his unwavering support and commitment to the safe and dignified return of the refugees.
Governor Bakari urged the refugees returning to their ancestral homes to be productive citizens and rebuild their lives.
Upon arrival, the refugees were received at the Nigerian border by the Commanding Officer of the 152 Task Force Battalion, Lt Col Michael Ndubisi, the District Head, Mohammed Shehu Umar, and other dignitaries.
They were taken to a reception facility and later to their UNHCR-supported homes built by the Borno State Government.
Addressing the returnees at the reception facility in Banki, Chairman of the Repatriation Committee, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe cautioned them against exploiting the repatriation process for economic gains.
He warned that the government would verify its database to identify individuals who had already settled in Banki without cancelling their refugee status and that such individuals would face consequences, including exclusion from housing and return packages.
“Let me sound a strong warning that the government would verify its database to identify individuals who had already settled in Banki without cancelling their refugee status. Any individual found culpable would face consequences, including exclusion from housing and return packages,” Wakilbe warned.
He appreciated the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Hon Tijjani Aliyu Ahamed, for supporting the exercise.
He announced that Governor Zulum has approved ₦ 100,000 per head of household, ₦ 20,000 for each wife, mattresses, and wrappers, while the national commission provided essential food items, including bags of rice, beans, millet, cooking oil, and seasoning.
A total of 3,122 individuals from 557 household were successfully repatriated and settled in Bama and Gwoza Local Government Areas.
