From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja and Tony Osauzo, Benin

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Nigeria has raised the alarm over spike  in influx of Cameroonian refugees into Nigeria.

The refugees, according to UNHCR, reside in Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Enugu, Cross River and Taraba states.

UNHCR Nigeria, in a statement by the Communication/Public Information Officer, Gabriel Adeyemo, called on the international  community for urgent additional support for refugees in Nigeria.

The population has surpassed the 70,000 benchmark. Nearly 80 percent of them are women and children.

UNHCR disclosed that $97.7 million is needed to respond to the needs of the 78,000 refugees and asylum-seekers of different nationalities and Internally Displayed Persons (IDPs) needs such as protection, camp management and coordination, shelter and non-food items such as blankets and jerry cans.

UNHCR Country Representative, Chansa Kapaya, said: “This is not just a number, these are people behind these numbers, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, people just like you and I that have been forced to flee their homes to seek safety and save their lives. 70,000 refugees are 70,000 daughters and sons. UNHCR commends Nigeria because it is on its way to become a champion in implementing the Global Compact on Refugees. But Nigeria needs support.”

Meanwhile, the global agency has announced that Edo State accounts for 70 percent of migration from Nigeria.

UNCHR Liason Officer, Amah Assiama-Hillgartner disclosed this at the “Tell the Real Story (TRS) testimony dissemination meeting in Benin City.

He said though she may not be able to provide answer to the root cause of it, “data available to us show that a lot of departure, people who claimed to have left Nigeria, they claimed Edo State as being the place of origin. So, this is what had been recorded. In fact, we have office here, and it is not recorded haphazardly. We do recognize that Edo State is one of the centres or places where processes for people to leave to overseas go on”, she said.

Admitting that the agency may not be able to say whether all the people were from Edo State, Hillgartner pointed out that there seemed to be some kind of  infractions which allow people to be processed or to be moved on for migration in the state.