The federal government has repatriated 7,790 Nigerians from the Republic of Chad, where they fled for almost a decade due to the Boko Haram insurgency.
The special adviser on Media to Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state made this known in a statement, Thursday in Maiduguri.
The statement said Governor Zulum led the federal government delegation to Chad in the company of the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sununu, and the chief executive officer of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Aliyu Ahmed.
It stated that the delegation was received in Baga Sola, Wednesday by the Governor of Lac Province of Chad, Saleh Tidjani.
The statement said the returnees, who are mostly indigenes of Borno, had been taking shelter in Chad after their communities around Lake Chad Basin were overrun by the insurgents.
It added that before launching the first phase of the repatriation, Gov Zulum attended the signing of a tripartite agreement between the governments of Nigeria, Chad, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Baga Sola.
The statement said Mr Sunusi signed on behalf of Nigeria, Mr Tidjani on behalf of the Chadian government and Jerome Merlin, Second Representative of the UNHCR in Baga Sola, on behalf of his commission.
The statement quoted Governor Zulum as saying that during the ceremony that, of the refugees currently living in Chad, only those who voluntarily wished to return were repatriated.
It added that the governor further expressed gratitude to the government of Chad for hosting thousands of displaced Nigerians over the years.
“This exercise is entirely voluntary. We are grateful to the government and people of Chad for their hospitality and support in sheltering our people during their time of need.
“Now that peace has returned to many areas in Borno, we are prepared to help them reintegrate into their communities.
“In the first batch of the repatriation, about 1,768 families, comprising 7,790 individuals, will be transported back to Nigeria,” the statement quoted Mr Zulum as saying.
It also quoted the minister as commending Mr Zulum for his exemplary leadership and strong collaboration with the federal government in humanitarian efforts. (NAN)
