A Federal Commissioner at the National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Ms. Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, has said 500,000 Nigerians are awaiting repatriation in Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Suleiman-Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, the United States of America (U.S.A) at the 77th session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that the refugees would be repatriated soon.
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 a spontaneous return that is happening now. We are looking after them as they come back,” said said.
According to her, there is a Presidential Committee on Repatriation in the Northeast 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,” Suleiman-Ibrahim said.