Borno: The first batch of 300 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon has arrived in Pulka town, Gwoza Local Area, marking the start of the fourth phase of a repatriation exercise for those displaced by the Borno insurgency over the past 11 years.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, these returnees are part of a larger group of 3,000 refugees anticipated to return from the Minawao Camp in Maruwa, Cameroon. The group, consisting of 75 households, arrived in Pulka in a coordinated manner facilitated by United Nations agencies, alongside Nigerian and Cameroonian authorities.
Upon arrival, local authorities and security officials formally received the refugees. Each household head received ?500,000, with an additional ?50,000 for each housewife to assist in their reintegration. The Borno Government also provided mattresses and clothing for women and children. Essential food supplies, including rice, millet, beans, and cooking oil, were provided by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.
Mr. Lawan Wakilbe, Chairman of the Borno State Sub-Committee on Repatriation, spoke about the significance of the exercise, emphasizing its importance in restoring lives and hope within communities. The refugees expressed joy and gratitude for their safe return, thanking those who ensured their well-being in Cameroon and their dignified return home. They are hopeful for lasting peace as they reintegrate into their ancestral communities.
A report by the United Nations Development Programme highlights that the insurgency in the North East has displaced 1.8 million people in the affected states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, with 1.5 million of these displaced individuals coming from Borno, the crisis’s epicenter.