THE second batch of no fewer than 705 Nigerian refugees has voluntarily returned to Borno State after being repatriated from Cameroon to the Banki border community in the Bama Local Government Area of the state.
News Point Nigeria reports that the state government’s repatriation exercise is part of a coordinated resettlement drive in insurgency-affected border communities.
The returning refugees, comprising 85 households, were formally seen off in Maroua by the Governor of Cameroon’s Far North Region, Midjiyawa Bakari, on Thursday.
Their arrivals on Friday mark continued progress in efforts to repatriate 3,000 citizens displaced by the 16-year Boko Haram insurgency, which had claimed many lives and property.
The first batch of 300 Nigerian refugees was on Tuesday conveyed to Pulka, Gwoza Local Government, marking the commencement of the fourth phase of a sustained repatriation exercise.
At the border town of Banki, the group was formally received by the Commanding Officer of the 152 Task Force Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Ndubusi, and the District Head of Banki, Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Umar, before the returnees were taken to a reception centre for processing.
The returnees will be housed in newly constructed units as part of a wider rebuilding programme supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and driven by the Borno State Government.
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum’s administration has heavily invested in the reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of communities devastated by conflict, aiming to create conditions for sustainable livelihoods.
Chairman of the Repatriation Committee, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, thanked the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Hon Tijjani Aliyu Ahamed, for the support.
He stated that Governor Babagana Zulum’s return packages included ₦100,000 per head of household, ₦20,000 per wife, mattresses, and wrappers.
In addition to bricks and mortar, the state government also provided direct support to ease the transition.
“Each head of household will receive ₦100,000, with additional cash, mattresses, and wrappers provided for families,” Wakilbe said.
Director of the NCFRMI, Murdakai Titus, handed over returned packages and building materials to support their resettlement process.
Wakilbe further revealed: “The food items are to cushion their immediate needs,” said Titus. “While the building materials will facilitate further shelter rehabilitation, as we expect more arrivals.”
Authorities also confirmed that three more convoys are expected in the Bama Local Government Area this February, signalling sustained efforts to bring the refugees back to their ancestral homes.