NEMA supplies food items to 80,709 Nigerian refugees in Cameroon

Agency to resettle displaced persons at liberated Borno communities
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at the weekend provided 1,460 bags of assorted food items to 80,709 Nigerian refugees in the Republic of Cameroun.

The Nigerians, mostly from Borno State are taking refuge in Minawao and other locations in the far north region of Cameroun.The Director General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani Sidi, who was represented by the Agency’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore SBB Muhammad, while handing over the items to officials of Cameroun for onward presentation to the United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) that has been managing the camp, said the items were meant to provide succour to the Nigerian refugees.

According to Sidi, NEMA would continue to liaise with the Government of Cameroun to ensure that all Nigeria refugees are living in good condition.Sidi appealed to youths in the camps to desist from using drugs and urged them to always be of good character and be good ambassadors of our country.

Some youths were recently arrested in the camp for drug abuse.He assured the refugees that the Nigerian government has not forgotten them and is doing everything possible to evacuate them back to their respective states.

Sidi also commended the international organization and UNHCR on behalf of the Federal Government for hosting and providing them with protection.

An official of the Government of Cameroun, Mrs. Menguene Marie expressed appreciation to the Nigerian government for the food items and also thanked the government of Cameroun for its support to the Nigerians.

The Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Refugees, Mr. Asshigar Mohd from Bama Local Government Council said: “We have been in Minawao camp for three years. We do have regular feeding, though we have school and hospital, but we want leaders of our communities back home to visit us.

“He appealed to the Nigerian Government to make arrangement to repatriate them to their homes in Borno State since peace has returned to most of the communities.

In a related development, the North East Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar yesterday said that arrangements are being made to return displaced persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri camps to Gwoza and other liberated communities of Borno State.

Kanar said in Maiduguri, that: “We are working round the clock to return these displaced persons to Gwoza. They have over stayed in camps, but with the liberation of communities in Gwoza Local Government Council, the IDPs may return before the end of this month.The return of IDPs, according to him, was inevitable following the gradual return of peace to the state.