Abuja- The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Nigeria has facilitated voluntary repatriation of 400 Cameroonian refugees after their six years stay in Nigeria, according to a statement.
The statement, signed by Mr Hanson Ghandi, the External Relations Officer of the Commission, was made available on Thursday in Abuja.
The statement quoted Ghandi as saying the repatriation started on Jan. 12 and was scheduled to end on Jan. 16, “if everything goes as planned.’’
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He said the decision by the UNHCR to assist the refugees was taken after a profiling exercise in 2010 in which an estimated 200 refugees opted for voluntary repatriation.
He added that series of consultations were conducted between Nigerian and Cameroonian authorities with the assistance of UNHCR in Cameroon to ensure that the areas where the refugees would return to were safe.
According to him, the refugees are supported with transportation, luggage allowance from Agbatse, Benue State, where they are settled, to depart from there to Akwaya on the Cameroonian border.
The external relations officer stated that the refugees were also supported with voluntary return cash grant of 150 dollars per adult, 75 dollars per child and were vaccinated against yellow fever, polio and meningitis.
He recalled that the refugees fled to Nigeria in January 2008 following violent clashes between the Olitis and Oyive communities in Cameroon over longstanding chieftaincy dispute which resulted in several deaths.
“The refugees left their native villages in Akwaya sub-division of the South West Region of Cameroon. The Oyives flee to Benue State, while the Olitis settled in Cross River.
“The UNHCR had since then continued to provide them with healthcare, education and livelihood sustenance activities.’’
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The UNHCR official expressed gratitude to authorities and communities in Benue and Cross River for hosting the refugees for six years, saying “it is a demonstration of legendary hospitality of Nigeria.
“UNHCR wishes to express utmost appreciation to the Nigerian government for its collaboration with the commission.’’
The repatriation was conducted by the UNHCR, National Commission for Refugees (NCFR), representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cameroonian High Commission in Nigeria.
Others who assisted in the exercise were the Benue and Cross River states governments, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Police, State Security Service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps. (NAN)
