MSF accuses Cameroun of repatriating Nigerian refugees to border communities

The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) yesterday accused the Cameroonian military of forcefully repatriating Nigerian refugees.

The army however said that the displaced Nigerians want to return home, as peace has returned to the border areas of Banki, Kirawa, Madagali, Michika and Mubi in Adamawa and Borno states. According to MSF authorities, thousands of Nigerian refugees returning to their country after spending several years in Cameroon are doing so under compulsion.

MSF, also known as Doctors without Borders, said the displaced persons are being relocated to territories with little or no facilities for basic human needs. Most of the refugees will end up in the Nigerian villages of Banki, Gulumba, Gamboru as well as Bama town.

MSF insisted that the deported Nigerian refugees are living in deplorable conditions. “I was brought here two weeks ago. The soldiers came and gathered people. Those who didn’t have a Cameroonian ID were put into vehicles and driven away,” said one of the refugees. He said that despite the hardships in Cameroon, it was not his wish to return to Nigeria but he said he had no choice.