Return of Nigerian refugees

There was joy last week when 5,000 Nigerians, who fled to Cameroon due to the Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorism, were repatriated and received by the Borno State government. Cameroonian officials led by the Minister for Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, handed over the first batch of the refugees to Governor […]

There was joy last week when 5,000 Nigerians, who fled to Cameroon due to the Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorism, were repatriated and received by the Borno State government.

Cameroonian officials led by the Minister for Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, handed over the first batch of the refugees to Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, on Monday at a brief ceremony in Amchiide, a border community close to Banki, Bama Local Government Area of the state.

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The repatriation followed the tripartite commission meeting held in Marwa, Cameroon, on February 10, 2021, which was attended by officials from Cameroon, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Nigerian delegation of Governor Zulum and top officials from the federal ministries of Foreign Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs.

The returnees were part of thousands of Nigerians, mostly from Borno State, who since 2014, had fled in batches to the Minawao IDP Camp located in Mokolo, far North region of Cameroon, to escape the killings by terrorists.

More than 60,000 Nigerians, following incessant attacks and killings, fled to the camp from parts of Borno and Adamawa states. But over the years, the number came down following isolated returns.

Indeed, the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in the Lake Chad Basin, forcing the region to grapple with a complex humanitarian emergency.

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), of the 3.2 million people that are displaced, over 2.9 million are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North-east Nigeria. Out of this number, there are  about 778,000 IDPs in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

The situation has exacerbated conflict-induced food insecurity and severe malnutrition in the refugee and IDPs camps. Despite the efforts of governments and humanitarian aid, some 12.5 million people remain in need of assistance in the Lake Chad Basin region, with 5.3 million people remaining food insecure.

The 5,000 refugees are returning even as the terrorists are not relenting in their attacks on communities in Borno State. But neither the returnees nor the government officials are deterred. In attendance at the handover ceremony were top officials from Cameroon, including the Governor of the far North Region, Midjiyawa Bakary and officials of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Cameroonian Minister for Territorial Administration announced that President Paul Biya had approved a big relief package which included food items, mattresses, blankets and other non-food items for distribution to the refugees.

And to ease the residential needs of the returnees, Governor of Borno State Babagana Zulum is constructing over 6,000 urban and low-cost houses in Banki, Gwoza, Kondugu, Kaga and other locations, with a substantial number of them already completed. Most of the buildings are for the resettlement of refugees and IDPs. In addition, the Borno State government has distributed food items and money to the returnees.

The return of the refugees back to Nigeria is commendable as every effort should be made to bring back all Nigerians who fled because of the spate of insecurity. Towards this, the federal government should provide the necessary diplomatic and logistics back up with seamless cooperation between the federal, state and international partners and civil society organisations. There should be no inter-agency rivalry.

Also, the returnees should be vetted to ensure that terrorists and bandits who are sources of evil are not repatriated with state funds and allowed to live among the civil populations and be the source of future violence and killings.

And more importantly, the insecurity that caused the flight of these citizens should be made a thing of the past. Therefore, no effort should be spared to ensure that the situation that caused such exodus of Nigerians doesn’t reoccur. This war against terrorism, banditry and other criminalities must be won.