The Governor of Borno State Babagana Zulum alongside officials of Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has arrived Marwa, Cameroon  for the voluntary repatriation of 9,800 Nigerian refugees.

The 9,800 refugees of Borno origin are those in the first phase of the repatriation from Cameroon out of 46,000 Nigerians taking refuge in Minawao camp in Central Africa country.

In a statement on Wednesday by the Spokes person to Borno State Governor, Mallam Isa Gusau  the 9,800 Nigerians constitute the first batch of citizens who have shown willingness to be evacuated to resettlement houses built by Borno Government in Bama and Banki towns.

He disclosed that Zulum arrived Cameroon on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday led the Nigerian delegation to a meeting on the repatriation agreement signed between Nigeria, Cameroon and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, which is to hold in Marwa in far north Cameroon, with Governor of Cameroon’s far north, Mijinyawa Bakare hosting the meeting.

According to Isa,  Zulum before travelling to Cameroon  had series of meetings with Nigeria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, the Federal Commission, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Senator Basheer, and with relevant ambassadors with all meetings aimed at following all established procedures towards lawful repatriation.

Majority of refugees at the Minawao refugee camp are mostly from Borno State and have regularly appealed to Governor Babagana Zulum to spearhead their repatriation to safe and rebuilt communities in their home state in order to return to a decent living.

In September 2019, Zulum during his trip to the camp had promised the refugees that he would in response to their appeal work with stakeholders towards their successful repatriation and dignified resettlement.