A total of 322,000 Nigerians fleeing the violence inflicted by Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorism are currently living in three Lake Chad Basin countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad Republic, according to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq.
The figures show that a total of 186,957 Nigerian refugees are living in Niger Republic, 118,409 in Cameroon and 16, 634 in Chad.
Hajiya Farouq spoke in Abuja Saturday while handing over the chairing of the Technical Working Group (TWG) Tripartite Agreement to the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
The hand-over was done during the TWG meeting on the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees living in Cameroon, Niger and Chad Republic held at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.
Farouq said that, with the large numbers of refugees in Niger, Chad and Cameroon, the Federal Government of Nigeria has officially initiated talks with the Governments of Chad and Niger to sign tripartite agreements similar to the one it has with the Republic of Cameroon.
Also speaking, the Federal Commissioner, NCFRMI, Hajiya Imaan said the TWG was saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the safe return of Nigerian refugees and that the NCFRMI is the driving force behind the exercise under the formidable direction and support of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
