North-East: Sub-committee on refugee repatriation submits report to Osinbajo
The technical working group on repatriation of Nigerians displaced from the North-East has on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, submitted its report to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in February, inaugurated a Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Returns and Resettlement of Displaced Persons in the North-East chaired by the vice president.
Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, who chaired the technical working group, spoke with State House correspondents after the submission of the report to the vice president.
Zulum disclosed that no fewer than 50, 000 indigenes from the North-East who were refugees in Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic had been repatriated so far.
“The president has inaugurated a committee a few months ago that will look into the repatriation of indigenes of Borno and other states of the North-East that are living in the Republic of Chad, Cameroon as well as Niger.
“Sequel to his inauguration, the vice president inaugurated the technical working group, sub-committee, which is headed by my humble self.
“This afternoon, we presented the report to the vice president with a view to ensuring that the repatriation exercise from Cameroon will continue immediately while the repatriation of Nigerians that are living in the Republic of Niger and the Republic of Chad will resume very soon.
“Within the last few years, we have repatriated no fewer than 50, 000 people but we still have more than 200,000.’’
He expressed optimism that indigenes of Borno and other states in the North-East who were willing to return would be re-established.
The governor said that the security situation in the region had improved as he hoped that the president would make the needed approvals for the repartitions.
“So, what we are looking now is to see how we can repatriate indigenes of Borno State that are living in Niger, especially those that are from Malumfatori, Abadam Local Government Area that is willing to come back.
“While we have those from Gwoza Local Government Area, Bama Local Government Area mainly that leaving from Cameroon; they are also willing to come.
“We also have indigenes of Kukawa and Marte Local Government Areas that are living that living in Chad.
“So, I think the vice president will do the needful to ensure that the president gives immediate approval in terms of funding and other logistics required for the re-establishment of these communities in Borno State; the security situation has greatly improved,’’ he said.
