First Batch of 300 Refugees Returns to Gwoza
The first batch of 300 Nigerian refugees has returned to Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, marking the commencement of the fourth phase of the ongoing repatriation exercise. The returnees, made up of 75 households, arrived in Pulka town in a coordinated and dignified process, bringing to an end over 11 years of displacement in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in the Republic of Cameroon. The repatriation followed a visit by Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, to the refugees’ camp in Cameroon on December 8, 2025, during which he assured them of a voluntary, safe and dignified return to their ancestral communities. Chairman of the Borno State Sub-Committee on Repatriation, Engineer Lawan Abba Wakilbe, described the exercise as a major achievement of the present administration. He said the return of the refugees symbolises the restoration of hope and the rebuilding of lives affected by insurgency. In a show of regional cooperation, the Governor of Cameroon’s Far North Region, Minjinyawa Bakari, personally bade the refugees farewell, reaffirming bilateral collaboration between Nigeria and Cameroon in addressing the humanitarian consequences of insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin. On arrival in Pulka, the returnees were received by local government officials and security agencies. Some of the returnees were seen kneeling to touch the soil of their homeland, while others offered prayers of gratitude. Children who had spent most of their lives outside Nigeria looked on with curiosity at their ancestral home. Each household head received five hundred thousand naira, while an additional fifty thousand naira was given to each wife to support their reintegration. The Borno State Government also distributed mattresses and wrappers, while the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons provided food items including rice, millet, beans and cooking oil. The current phase of the repatriation is part of a broader strategy by the Borno State Government to stabilise resettled communities, rebuild critical infrastructure and restore livelihoods in areas affected by insurgency. Dignitaries who accompanied the Chairman of the Sub-Committee included members of the Borno State House of Assembly representing Kaga, Gwoza and Gulumba, Honourable Mustafa Alibe Benishiekh, Honourable Buba Abatcha and Honourable Baba Shehu Gulumba. Also present were the Chairman of Gwoza Local Government Area, Abba Shehu Timta, and an official of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Mr. Murdakai Titus.
