Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has disclosed plans to repatriate Internally Displaced Places (IDPs) who are Nigerians but residing in Diffa, Niger Republic.
Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum made the disclosure when a Federal Government delegation visited Nigerian refugees in Diffa for an on-the-spot assessment to assure them of efforts being made to repatriate them.
A statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development and Disaster Management, Nneka Ikem Anibeze said Governor Zulum was accompanied by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ali Grema and the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs (NCFRMI) Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed on the tour.
Zullum assured them of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment in ensuring their safe return to Nigeria and their reintegration into the society.
The team also met with officials from the Nigerien government led by Governor Isa Lameen of Diffa region and toured an ongoing construction of 1,000 temporary shelter units and 280 refugee housing units in Damasak town located on the fringes of the Nigerien border.