The Federal Government says it plans to begin the process of evacuating Nigerians taking refuge in neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, and the Niger Republic back home.
Thousands of Nigerians affected by the Boko Haram insurgency had fled to neighbouring countries at the peak of the insurgency.
Alhaji Ahmed Tijjani, the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) said this on Thursday in Maiduguri after a meeting with Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno.
Tijjani said the government had also agreed to close the remaining Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri and return the displaced persons to their ancestral homes within the shortest possible time.
“We discussed the evacuation of refugees from Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. It was agreed that a tripartite meeting would be held.
“The commission will sit down and come up with the process and procedure to apply to evacuating our people.
“Registration of refugees for the voluntary evacuation is ongoing in collaboration with the UN Agency for Refugees (UNHCR),” Tijjani said.
He lauded the Borno government for its commitment to the welfare of the people concerned and assured them of the commission’s support at all times.
Tijjani said the commission had already established a resettlement city in Amarwa Village in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno for the returnees, with provisions for schools, clinics, markets, a police outpost, and a skill acquisition centre among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the federal commissioner, who was in Borno for a three-day visit, also presented relief materials to 500 displaced persons affected by the fire disaster in Muna IDP camp in Maiduguri and visited the Maiduguri sub office of the UNHCR. (NAN) (Vanguard)