From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum with some officials of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs are meeting in Cameroon to commence process of repatriating 9,800 refugees to Nigeria.
Spokesman to Zulum, Isa Gusau in a statement on Wednesday said the governors and the humanitarian officials arrived Marwa, a border community in Cameroon to hold talks ahead of the planned repatriation.
“Borno governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum alongside officials of Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social De elopement has arrived Marwa in the Republic of Cameroon, toward the voluntary repartrqtion of 9,800 Nigerians of Borno origin, who are among 46, 000 Nigerians taking refuge in Marwa camp in Cameroon,” he said.
He said 9, 800 Nigerians constitute the first batch of citizens who have shown willingness to return home from the refugee camps in Cameroon.
Thousands of civilians fled their homes to neighbouring African nation’s in the wake of repeated attacks on their communities by Boko Haram between 2014 and 2017.
Nigeria shares regional borders with three African countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger along the Lake Chad shores in the northeast.