ICC Note: The Nigerian federal government has called for the return of the roughly 80,000 Nigerians who fled to Cameroon as internally displaced persons (IDPs) after the insurgency of Boko Haram in the North-Eastern area of Nigeria. More than a million Nigerians have been displaced by the terrorist group since their insurgence began in 2009; most IDPs relocated to areas still within the country of Nigeria. The Nigerian government is now claiming to have the situation under better control and are asking for the return of those IDPs that fled to Cameroon. They claim the emergency stage of the crisis is now over and they need to begin the recovery stage, part of which will be getting these IDPs to return to the country and caring for them and their needs as they re-adjust. Many of these IDPs are Christians since Boko Haram has notoriously targeted Christian populations in accord with their jihadist mission.   

06/13/16, Nigeria (Premium Times) – The Nigerian government wants about 80,000 Nigerians displaced to Cameroon by the Boko Haram insurgency to return.

The Federal Government has, therefore, signed a tripartite agreement with the United Nations High Commission for Refugee, UNHCR, and the Republic of Cameroon for the return of the refugees who fled for safety.

The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Muhammad Sidi, disclosed this when an African Union (AU) Humanitarian Mission visited the headquarters of the agency at the weekend. The AU mission was led by Aisha Abdullahi, its Commissioner for Political Affairs.

He said there were about 80,000 displaced Nigerians currently taking refuge in Cameroon and that the federal government has been making efforts to cater for all their basic needs.

Over a million Nigerians were displaced from the north-east by the insurgency with majority of them in different internally displaced persons, IPDs, camps within Nigeria.

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