Army facilitates return of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon

The Nigerian Army said its troops have facilitated the safe return of Nigerian refugees from the Republic of Cameroon to Borno State.

The repatriation, according to a statement issued on Thursday morning, was conducted by the Joint Task Force of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in the North-east.

According to the statement signed by the operation’s spokesperson, Sani Uba, the repatriation exercise took place on 27 January.

Mr Uba said the operation, spearheaded by troops of Sector 1, was in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and local vigilante groups, which provided security cover for the cross-border movement of returnees from the Kirawa border crossing into Pulka town, Gwoza Local Government Area.

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The recent repatriation occurred 11 months after a similar exercise returned 7,790 Nigerians from Chad.

Returnees displaced by insurgency

The Army said the returnees were displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency, which has lingered for more than a decade.

“Many of the returnees had spent over 11 years in exile due to insurgency-related displacements,” Mr Uba said, adding their repatriation was as a result of enabling an environment created by sustained military offensives against terrorists.

Mr Uba said the returnees started their journey back home from Minawawu in the Republic of Cameroon.

They then passed through Moruwa and entered Nigeria through Kirawa, he explained, adding the exercise was carried out in line with approved humanitarian and security protocols, highlighting growing civil-military cooperation in stabilisation efforts across the region.

Officials of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) coordinated the process in collaboration with the Borno State Government and other security agencies.

A delegation from the Borno State Government, led by Engineer Wakilbe, representing Governor Babagana Zulum, also participated in the exercise.

The delegation included the Chairperson of Gwoza Local Government Area, a member of the Borno State House of Assembly representing Gwoza, senior government officials, and representatives of international humanitarian organisations, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

On arrival at Maraban Kirawa, the returnees and the delegation were received by the Commander of the 26 Task Force Brigade, Sector 1, Nasiru Abdullahi, a brigadier general, before being escorted to a designated reception centre in Pulka.

At the centre, over 100 households were registered and provided immediate relief. Each household received financial support, wrappers and mattresses from the Borno State Government, food items from the Federal Government, and cash assistance from UNHCR to address immediate accommodation and welfare needs.

The returnees are expected to remain at the reception centre for comprehensive medical screening, while children will receive routine immunisation administered jointly by military medical personnel and officials of the Gwoza Local Government Primary Healthcare Unit.

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The delegation is also expected to return to the Republic of Cameroon to facilitate the repatriation of additional batches of Nigerian refugees.

Mr Uba said the operation was conducted without incidents, adding that while the security situation remains c7alm but fluid, troops continue to maintain high morale and operational readiness.