Buni meets Nigerian refugees in Chad, pledges support for repatriation

Governor Mala Buni of Yobe has assured Nigerian refugees in the Republic of Niger of the government’s commitment to facilitate the repatriation of those willing to return to Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Buni’s Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, on Wednesday in Damaturu.

The statement said that the governor gave the assurance on Tuesday when he visited Nigerian refugees at the Kaya site in Lac Province of Chad to assess their welfare.

He said the refugees willing to return to Nigeria should liaise with the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) for proper census and documentation, after which the respective state governments would facilitate their repatriation.

“For those of you willing to return home, you should liaise with the Lake Chad Basin Commission to take the census while the state governments repatriate you to your respective states,” Mr Buni said.

The governor commended the refugees for their peaceful coexistence with their host communities and the government of Chad.

He urged them to remain law-abiding and avoid criminal activities, while reporting cases of infiltration, suspicious persons and movements in their communities.

Mr Buni also expressed satisfaction with the refugees’ engagement in fishing and farming, saying the activities would make them more self-reliant and minimise their dependence on humanitarian assistance.

He assured them that the federal government would continue to collaborate with the Chadian government on their welfare and other issues affecting them.

Responding, the leader of the refugee community, Ba- Bulama Usman, described Mr Buni’s visit as a source of hope and a demonstration that the Nigerian government had not forgotten them.

“You are the only government official from Nigeria to visit us,” Mr Usman said.

He said the visit had given the refugees “a sense of belonging and hope,” assuring that they would remain law-abiding and continue to pursue peaceful means of livelihood in cooperation with their host communities.

Mr Usman also pledged the community’s cooperation with the LCBC in identifying refugees willing to return to Nigeria and notifying their respective state governments for repatriation.

Earlier, Mr Buni paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Lac Province, Saleh Tidjani, and commended the Chadian government for accommodating Nigerian settlers and refugees, as well as fostering peaceful coexistence between them and their host communities.

He said Nigeria and Chad were committed to sustaining peace, security and economic cooperation between the two countries.

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Mr Buni also said the commitment reached by the Lake Chad Governors’ Forum at its meeting in Maiduguri would be implemented to deepen sustainable peace, security and economic growth in the region.

He said the forum was committed to opening waterways to enhance transportation for security operations and facilitate the movement of goods and services.

In his remarks, Mr Tidjani described Mr Buni’s visit as an honour and opportunity to strengthen collaboration between Nigeria and Chad in promoting peaceful coexistence, security, stability and economic growth.

Mr Buni was accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the LCBC, Ibrahim Babani; Force Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force, S.T. Audu; and Secretary to the Yobe State Government (SSG), Mohammed Goje, among others.