200,000 displaced persons not yet repatriated, says Zulum

Seeks Buhari’s approval of fund to re-establish communities in Borno
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has disclosed that more than 200,000 people displaced in the North East as a result of Boko Haram attacks are yet to be brought back to the country.

According to him, over 200,000 persons have been refugees in neighbouring countries where they fled to following activities of rampaging Boko Haram terrorists in the area.

Speaking when he presented the report of the Technical Working Group (TWG) to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, weekend, Zulum, who is Vice Chairman of TWG, said within the last few years, about 50,000 people had so far been repatriated.

Interacting with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Zulum said: “President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Repatriation, Returns and Resettlement of Displaced Persons in the North East, few months ago, to look into the repatriation of indigenes of Borno and other states of the North East living in the Republic of Chad, Cameroun as well as Niger.

“Sequel to his inauguration, Osinbajo inaugurated the TWG sub-committee, which is headed by my humble self. We presented the report to the Vice President to ensure that the repatriation exercise from Cameroun will continue immediately, while the repatriation of Nigerians living in the Republic of Niger and the Republic of Chad will resume very soon.”

The governor also called on Osinbajo, who is chairman of the presidential committee, to ensure Buhari’s immediate approval of funds and other logistics required for the re-establishment of the destroyed communities in Borno.

This came as the VP assured that displaced Nigerians, who are still in Cameroun, would return home soon as the presidential committee on the repatriation orders the immediate resumption of their repatriation.

There are thousands of Nigerian refugees in Chad, Niger and Cameroun who are due for repatriation to their ancestral homes in Nigeria.

Zulum added: “Within the last few years, we have repatriated no fewer than 50,000 people; but we still have more than 200,000.

“So, what we are looking now is to see how we can repatriate indigenes of Borno living in Niger, especially those that are from Malumfatori, Abadam Local Council that are willing to come back.”

The governor said the security situation in the state “has greatly improved.” Buhari had, in February 2022, inaugurated the Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of Displaced Persons in the North East, with the Vice President as chairman.