Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, has disclosed that 500,000 Nigerians awaiting repatriation in three countries.
Ms. Suleiman-Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York at the 77th session of UN General Assembly that the refugees would be repatriated from Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
She spoke on the sidelines of High-Level Side Event on “Strengthening Resilience and Sustaining Development: A Humanitarian Development Peace Approach to Leaving No one Behind.’’
“We have almost about 500,000 awaiting repatriation. The next batch will consist of 1,000 people and it is spontaneous returns that is happening now, and we are looking after them as they come back,’’ the commissioner said.
According to her, there is a Presidential Committee on Repatriation in the North -East and the committee is to complement the Technical Working Group on repatriation, which is chaired by the Commission.
“It is a process that has been ongoing, and we have started repatriation, we are experiencing involuntary returns from Nigerians in those countries.
“So, it’s going to happen before the end of Mr President’s tenure. We would have brought everybody back home and there is funding allocated for us.”
Earlier at the event, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno , said that over 90,000 repentant Boko Haram ISWAP terrorists had voluntarily surrendered to the Army for disarmament, de-radicalisation and reintegration.
“I want to bring to the notice of this gathering that within the last one year, Borno State government, and indeed the Federal Government has so far received over 90,000 repentant Boko Haram and ISWAP members.
“This has never happened anywhere in the history of the world, the insurgency is coming to an end.,’’ he said.
