Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has led a high-level Nigerian delegation to Baga Sola in the Chad Republic to kick off the repatriation of refugees who fled their communities due to the Boko Haram insurgency.
A statement released on Thursday and made available to The PUNCH, revealed that most of the displaced persons are Borno indigenes who have been living in Baga Sola for nearly a decade.
The insurgency had forced them to leave their homes around the Lake Chad Basin.
The delegation, which included Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and the Federal Commissioner/CEO of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, was welcomed by Saleh Tidjani, Governor of Lac Province, Chad.
According to the statement, the first phase of the repatriation will see 1,768 families, comprising 7,790 individuals return to Nigeria.
“In the first batch of the repatriation exercise, about 1,768 families comprising 7,790 people will return to Nigeria,” the statement read.
Before the exercise commenced, Zulum participated in the signing of a tripartite agreement involving Nigeria, Chad, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Baga Sola.
“The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, signed on behalf of Nigeria, the Governor of Lac Province for the Republic of Tchad and Jerome Merlin, Second Rep UNHCR in Baga Sola, signed for the UN refugee agency,” the statement added.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Governor Zulum stressed that only those who voluntarily expressed the desire to return would be repatriated.
He extended his appreciation to the Chadian government for providing shelter to thousands of Nigerians displaced by the crisis in Borno.
The Nigerian delegation also included Abdulkadir Ibrahim Ghani, Head of Chancery at the Nigerian Embassy in N’Djamena; Hon. Karta Maina Ma’aji, Member of the Borno State House of Assembly representing Kukawa; Borno State Commissioners Prof. Usman Tar (Information) and Sugun Mai Mele (Local Government Affairs); and Mustapha Ali Busuguma, Permanent Secretary, Government House.
Meanwhile, Minister Sununu praised Zulum for his leadership and close collaboration with the federal government during the crisis.
“I want to thank the Executive Governor of Borno State for showing leadership during crises and serving as a role model in terms of complete collaboration with the federal government and for providing all the necessary support,” Sununu stated.
