Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, led a high-profile delegation to Baga Sola in Chad Republic to initiate the repatriation of 7,790 Nigerian refugees displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency. The event marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in the Lake Chad Basin region.
The delegation, which included the State Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, and the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), was warmly received by the Governor of Lac Province, Saleh Haggar Tidjani.
The first batch of the repatriation exercise involves returning 1,768 families, totaling 7,790 individuals, back to Nigeria. This initiative follows a tripartite agreement signed in Baga Sola between Nigeria, Chad, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Dr. Sununu signed on behalf of Nigeria, while the Governor of Lac Province signed for Chad, and Jerome Merlin, the Second Representative of UNHCR in Baga Sola, signed for the UN agency.
Governor Zulum, at the signing ceremony, stressed the voluntary nature of the repatriation, stating, “Only those that have voluntarily indicated interest in returning will be repatriated.” He also expressed his gratitude towards the Chadian government for their hospitality towards Nigerian refugees over the years.
The delegation included notable figures such as the Head of Chancery at the Nigerian Embassy in N’Djamena, Abdulkadir Ibrahim Ghani, and Member of the Borno State House of Assembly representing Kukawa, Hon. Karta Maina Ma’aji, among others.
In related developments, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu praised Governor Zulum for his exemplary leadership and collaboration with the federal government. He remarked, “I want to thank the Executive Governor of Borno State for showing leadership during crises and serving as a role model in terms of complete collaboration with the federal government and for providing all the necessary support.”
This repatriation effort not only signifies a return to normalcy for thousands but also highlights an effective model of intergovernmental cooperation in addressing humanitarian crises.