The first batch of 300 Nigerian refugees in Cameroon has arrived in Pulka town in the Gwoza LGA of Borno.
Their arrival marked the commencement of the fourth phase of a sustained repatriation exercise of people displaced for 11 years by the insurgency in Borno.
The 300 were part of the 3,000 expected to be repatriated from the Minawao Camp in Maroua, Cameroon.
The returnees, comprising 75 households, arrived in Pulka on Tuesday in a coordinated and dignified manner, under the supervision of the United Nations agencies in collaboration with Nigerian and Cameroonian authorities.
On arrival in Pulka, the returnees were formally received by local authorities and security officials.
Each household head received ₦500,000 for his family, while each housewife got an additional ₦50,000 to facilitate smooth reintegration.
The Borno government provided mattresses and clothing materials for women and children, while the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons supplied essential food items, including rice, millet, beans, and cooking oil.
Speaking on the exercise, the chairman of the Borno State Sub-Committee on Repatriation, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, described the exercise as a significant achievement in the lifetime of the present administration.
“This homecoming is a testament to our collective resolve. We are not just moving people; we are restoring lives and reigniting hope in our communities,” Mr Wakilbe stated.
Many of the refugees were excited to return home after 11 years and were in tears of joy.
They thanked all those involved in their safe stay in Cameroon and the dignified return home and prayed for lasting peace as they prepare for normal life in their ancestral land.
A United Nations Development Programme report indicates that the insurgency in the North-East has led to the displacement of 1.8 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, out of which 1.5 million of the displaced are from Borno, the epicentre of the crisis.
(NAN)