The Borno State Government has finalised arrangements for the voluntary repatriation of more than 3,000 Nigerian refugees from the Republic of Cameroon to their ancestral communities after 11 years in displacement.
The Chairman of the Borno State Sub-Committee on Repatriation and a member of the Presidential Committee on Repatriation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, disclosed this on Monday during a meeting with officials of Cameroon’s Far North Region and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the Minawao Refugee Camp in Maroua.
Wakilbe said the exercise was in fulfilment of the commitment by Gov. Babagana Umara Zulum to repatriate and resettle all Borno refugees currently taking shelter in neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
He explained that the operation was being carried out with the support of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, in collaboration with Cameroonian authorities and humanitarian partners.
According to him, the meeting was convened to finalise logistical and operational arrangements to ensure the safe and dignified return of the refugees.
Wakilbe recalled that during a visit to the Minawao camp in December 2025, Zulum assured refugees willing to return home of adequate safety, support and resettlement, marking a new beginning for families displaced by insurgency more than a decade ago.
The refugees, mostly from central and southern Borno communities, fled to Cameroon at the height of the insurgency, which destroyed villages, displaced families and disrupted socio-economic activities across the North-East.
While in Cameroon, the refugees received support including shelter, healthcare and education, while many were allocated farmlands to engage in agriculture and reduce dependence on humanitarian aid.
With improved security in parts of Borno and ongoing reconstruction and resettlement programmes by the state government, many refugees, Wakilbe said, had indicated readiness to return home voluntarily.
He said the Borno State Government had provided buses and other logistics for the movement, while the National Commission for Refugees would coordinate the repatriation process.
“This is the fourth phase of the repatriation exercise which started in 2020, and the process is progressing smoothly in line with the tripartite and technical working group agreements,” Wakilbe said.
He added that all commitments made by the governor during his December 2025 visit would be fulfilled immediately the refugees return.
In a related development, Wakilbe led a delegation to the office of the Governor of Cameroon’s Far North Region, Mr Midjiyawa Bakari, who commended the Borno State Government for sustaining cordial bilateral relations.
Bakari said cooperation between Nigeria and Cameroon had been crucial in ensuring the protection, welfare and orderly return of displaced persons across the border.
