FG to evacuate Nigerian refugees from Cameroon, Chad, Niger Republic — Minister

The Federal Government has said plans are underway to begin the processes of evacuating Nigerians taking refuge in neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Republic, back to the country.

The Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Ahmed Tijjani, made this known on Thursday, in Maiduguri after a meeting with Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno.

Tijjani disclosed further that the government had also agreed to close the remaining Internally Displaced Persons camps in Maiduguri and return the displaced persons to their ancestral homes within the shortest possible time.

“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.