Lawyer Ogebe Petitions U.S. Govt To Resettle 58,000 Nigerian Gwoza Refugees Currently In Cameroon To 3rd Countries, Decries Their Repatriation To Borno

• Rails at whites only resettlement policy, says 2,000 white South African farmers were killed in 35 years compared to 2,000 Benue farmers killed in two years

Washington DC-based international human rights lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe Esq, has petitioned the United States (U.S.) government to urgently resettle 58,000 Nigerian Gwoza refugees currently living in Cameroon to third countries, saying that their planned repatriation back to Nigeria amid continued terrorists atrocities is “a recipe for disaster.”

Ogebe, who also said that the whites only resettlement policy is wrong–headed, stating that while 2,000 white South African farmers were killed in 35 years, 2,000 farmers in Nigeria’s North Central State of Benue were killed in two years.

The recommendations were submitted to the U.S. President’s fact-finding delegation to Nigeria which just ended its visit.

Ogebe full letter to Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Riley Barnes, reads: “Congratulations on your appointment as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and also on a successful Congressional Delegation trip to Nigeria.

“I have myself just returned from my annual end of year human rights status assessment TDY to Nigeria in the wake of yours and wish to send in this rush recommendation as you prepare your presidential report.

“U.S. SHOULD URGENTLY ASSIST RESETTLEMENT OF NIGERIAN REFUGEES CURRENTLY IN CAMEROUN IN THIRD COUNTRIES 

“A priority humanitarian intervention recommended for urgent attention is the critical Gwoza refugee population in Cameroun. 

“While you were in Nigeria, the Borno government is trying to incentivize them back to an unsafe region after over a decade. Apparently he just visited them in the same Camerounian Far North camp I visited in 2014. As you know, Gwoza is still occupied by terrorists so this is a set up for disaster.

“They are now eligible for international resettlement in western host countries but Zulum’s action undermines their relocation abroad.

“I urge the USG to prioritize these persecution refugees’ resettlement in your humanitarian response proposals.

“While thousands self-repatriated from Cameroun, those who came back to Nigeria are suffering in camps outside Abuja as they can’t return to Gwoza. Please see a new report on the conditions of camps even in Abuja https://mikearnold.org/new-report-internally-displaced-persons-in-the-federal-capital-territory-abuja/

“Our assessment indicates that some of the Nigerian refugees were resettled abroad from Cameroun:

– 97 in USA.

– 106 in CANADA  

– 7 in ITALY schooling  

– 125 in FRANCE 

“Unfortunately while others are in the process of resettling in the US and other countries, an executive order has just been signed partially restricting Nigerian immigrant and non-immigrant visas.

“That’s the point of making this high priority post-CODEL recommendation. It was already problematic that only white South Africans were eligible refugees and that the U.S. had capped the amount of refugees for 2026. This policy dissonance is apparent when the executive action directly contradicts its problem identification.

“Since 1990, less than 2000 white farmers have been killed in South Africa.

“In the last two years, 2000 Christian farmers were killed in Benue state alone in Nigeria. That’s 2000 in 35 years in one country compared to 2000 in just one of 36 states in another country in two years! 

“The current population of the Cameroun refugee camp as of now is 58,327 (fifty eight thousand three hundred and twenty seven) people. Gwoza leaders say it’s 99% Christian.

“As recently as this October, more Gwozans were displaced into Cameroun. Community leaders reported favoritism in the rehabilitation and resettlement of Muslims over Christians. While Muslims received completed homes, Christian refugees are being offered $350 to return to Nigeria and rebuild their houses with.

“Our recommendations are:

1. USG should increase its refugee intake beyond 7500

2. USG should include the refugees in Cameroun 

3. USG should fund a rapid resettlement 

4. USG should grant Temporary Protected Status to Nigerians in U.S.

5. USG should remove visa restrictions on non-offending Nigerians

6. USG should work with other countries to take in the refugees 

7. USG should provide humanitarian assistance to the IDPs in north central Nigeria 

8. USG should work with Nigeria to dislodge terrorists from their lands

9. USG should assist Nigeria with rebuilding devastated communities 

10. USG should assist with the census of IDPs in Nigeria 

“Thank you for your kind attention.

“Emmanuel Ogebe, ESQ”