Hmmmm this is unbelievable, Is Nigeria actually sitting on a time bomb ready to explode? Only time will tell!The UN Refugee Agency yesterday said violence by Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria’s northeast continues to send thousands
of refugees across the border into neighbouring Cameroon.
UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR), said that some 13,000 Nigerian
refugees crossed from Adamawa state after insurgents attacked and captured the
town of Mubi in
late October.
The refugees fled to the towns of Guider and Gashiga in the North region of Cameroon and to
Bourha, Mogode and Boukoula in the Far North.
According to local authorities in Cameroon,
the vast majority of these 13,000 Nigerians have now returned to Nigeria, saying
that their final destination was Yola, the capital of Adamawa state, south of
Mubi.
However, in the days immediately following the attack on Mubi, it was
reported that refugees arrived in Cameroon in over 300 vehicles
including many personal vehicles, as well as some trucks and rented cars.
The Cameroonian authorities reported that they facilitated onward transit
movements and provided escorts to ensure the safety of those transiting through
Cameroonian territory.
On the Nigeria side, a
UNHCR team confirmed that thousands of Nigerians are now being hosted at Girei
in Gombe State and at the National Youth Service
Centre in Yola.
Meanwhile, newcomers were receiving assistance from the State Emergency
Management Agency (SEMA), the National Red Cross Society and the International
Rescue Committee.
In Yola, UNHCR has interviewed some of the people who transited through Cameroon before re-entering Nigeria.
The report added that the vast majority of them were women and children.
UNHCR said that many families were forced to flee on foot, taking few
belongings with them and walking tens of kilometres before finding safety in Cameroon.
“We are also examining claims that some of these refugees may have been
forced to return to Nigeria.
“We are seeking assurances from both Nigeria
and Cameroon
that the return of these people was done on a voluntary basis.
Cameroon is hosting
thousands of refugees from Nigeria
and Central African Republic
and we encourage Cameroon
to continue with its policy of welcoming refugees,’’ UNHCR said.
In its statement, UNHCR urged States to keep their borders open for
Nigerians fleeing the country and who may be in need of international
protection.
According to the UN agency, its advisory seeks to ensure that humanitarian
and asylum principles are upheld in light of the ongoing insecure situation in
north-eastern Nigeria.
(PANA/NAN)
Source: Vanguard
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