BAUCHI, Federal Republic of Nigeria. United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has disclosed that about 200,000 Nigerians are currently in Cameroon, Chad and Niger as refugees.
The Regional Representative for West Africa for the commission, Liz Ahua, disclosed this in Bauchi, Bauchi State, while fielding questions from journalists after her visits to some internally displaced persons (IDPs) displaced by insurgency in the North-East who were currently being accommodated in Bauchi.
According to Ahua, the refugees in the neighbouring countries were driven out by the activities of insurgent group, Boko Haram, which had been fighting the Nigerian state in the past six years.
The Dakar, Senegal-based regional representative stated that the refugees and the IDPs in different states in the country were traumatised by their experiences and the activities of insurgents.
According to her, the refugees were willing to return to Nigeria but were being prevented from doing so by the fear of what could happen to them again.
She, however, informed that UNHCR had been working with partners with a view to bringing succour to the refugees who were no longer living in their respective homes in Nigeria.
“We work with partners to support the refugees with education and medical facilities because they are no more living in their country of nationality. So we have to give them adequate support,” Ahua said.
Credit: Tribune (Nigeria)
