Boko Haram:58,000 Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, Chad, Niger

About 58,000 Nigerians displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in North-East Nigeria are taking refuge in neighbouring Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

This was disclosed in by the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Muhammed Sidi, at the African Union Regional Consultative Meeting for West Africa in Abuja during the weekend.

The consultative panel was slated for the development of a common African position for the World Humanitarian Summit.

Mr. Sidi said there were about 57,743 Nigerian refugees in Cameroun, Chad and Niger.

Of the number, Mr. Sidi said, Cameroon hosts 40,366 Nigerians who are taking refuge in Minawayo, Mora, Fotocol, Limani, Amchide, Douala, Kentzou and Garoua Bouali.

In Niger Republic, there are 15,000 Nigerian refugees in Diffa, Bosso, Maine and Kablewa, said Mr. Sidi.

He added that Ngouboua and Lake Chad region provide shelter for 2,377 Nigerian refugees.

He lamented the expulsion of 12,000 Nigerian refugees by Cameroonian authorities.

The expelled refugees “were dumped at the boarder while UNHCR was watching,” Mr. Sidi said.

“I expressed my concern to UNHCR when Nigerian delegation went to Chad, Niger and Cameroun for assessment of the condition of Nigerian refugees which was misconstrued as forceful evacuation by UNHCR.”

Further, the NEMA boss noted that the liberation of most of the communities in the Boko Haram ravaged Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States from the insurgents, and the massive return of Nigerians from the neighbouring countries have changed the humanitarian outlook from emergency relief intervention to rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery of the affected persons and communities.

He said, “the agency in collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies with the support of the UN System has undertaken damage and loss assessment of the affected communities in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States and has made submission to the government for appropriate intervention by line Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The humanitarian outcome of the insurgency has impacted the contiguous states of Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau and Taraba and the neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad, Mr. Sidi said.

About 20,000 people have been killed in the Boko Haram insurgency while millions of others were displaced from their homes.