By Dauda R Pam Maiduguri
Borno State Government alongside officials of Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, were in Marwa, to repatriate 9,800 refugees of Borno origin, who have voluntarily agreed to return to their ancestral abode.
The 9,800 Nigerians, who were taking refuge in Minawao camp in Cameroon, constituted the first batch of citizens who showed willingness to return to resettlement houses built by Borno Government in Bama and Banki towns.
Leader of delegation to a tripartite meeting, GOVERNOR BABAGANA UMARA ZULUM of BORNO state, signed the agreement between Nigeria, Cameroon and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, held in Marwa, Northern Cameroon.
It was gathered that, the meeting was in line with the provisions of the tripartite agreement which has spelt out international best practices on humanitarian issues involving movements of persons between two or more countries.
It also identified the roles and limitations of all parties, the protection of the rights of refugees who have voluntarily agreed to be repatriated at their own will.
Recall, before traveling to Cameroon, Governor Zulum had series of meetings with Nigeria’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, the federal commission, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Senator Basheer, as well as relevant ambassadors.
It was also gathered that the majority of refugees at the Minawao refugee camp, were mostly from Borno State, who have earlier appealed to Governor Babagana Umara Zulum to spearhead their repatriation to rebuilt communities in Borno in order to return to their ancestral abodes to pick up piece and pieces of their livelihoods.
