No fewer 60,000 abandoned Nigerian Refugees at Minawawo camp in Cameroon Republic, have appealed for their immediate evacuation to their ancestral homes by the Federal Government,
Tgnews reporter opined that the Refugees are mostly women and children, who fled Borno to Cameroon during the Boko Haram attacks on their towns and villages in 2012 and 2013.
You would recalls that Sa’adiya Faruk, the Minister of Humanitarian Services, Disaster Management and Internally Displaced Persons, on Aug. 23, received 133 Nigerian refugees who returned home from Cameroon.
The refugees had arrived Yola Airport aboard a Nigerian Air Force plane on Aug. 23, 2019.
Tgnews investigation revealed that since the evacuation and arrival of the 133 refugees in August, the evacuation stopped without any cogent reason and information.
But Mr Ashigar Muhammed, Vice Chairman of the Nigerian refugees in Cameroon told Tgnews on Tuesday in Yola, that thousands of Nigerian Refugees were still languishing in many camps across the Cameroon and wondered when they would be brought back home.
Muhammed said that in 2017, the Nigerian government, United Nation’s High Commission for Refugees and Cameronian authority among other agencies, registered over 4,000 Nigerians, who voluntarily wanted to come home.
” To our surprise , only 133 Nigerian Refugees in Cameroon were evacuated to Nigeria and whom are mostly Adamawa state indigenes.
” Since the first evacuation on August 23, 2019 ,the exercise has stopped and we don’t know our faith.
” We are appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Humanitarian Services, Disaster Management and Internally Displaced Persons, Sa’adiya Faruk, to intervene and transport us back to Nigeria ” Muhammed appealed.
Muhammed, who hails from Bama Local Government Area of Borno, said he ran to Cameroon with his family at the heat of Boko Haram in 2012.
He said his family was presently at Minawawo refugees camp along with over 60,000 Nigerians.
Muhammed expressed their desire to be evacuated back home Nigeria so as that their children could continue with their education.
He noted that 90 per cent of the refugees in the camp were from Bama and Gwoza LGAs in Borno , while there were also some people from Yobe,Bauchi and Gombe states.
Contacted, Mr Lawal Hanidu, Director in the ministry of Humanitarian Services, Disaster Management and Internally Displaced Persons, said those evacuated were the ones who voluntarily showed interest and agreed to come back to Nigeria.
Hamidu said the International refugee agreement only permits that a Refugee can only be evacuated only when he voluntarily agrees to be evacuated.
” And also if peace has been restored in the Refugees areas and voluntarily agreed to return to his area, Government can evacuate them.
“But if there is still insecurity challenge in their villages and towns, their desire to return will not be allowed because of the safety of their lives and property, ” Hamidu said.
He however, noted anytime Borno Government expressed willingness and readiness to evacuate its citizens,” the federal government will give its support.”
