By Tom Garba,Yola
The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA) has expressed its dismay over allegedly unlawful repatriation of over 2,500 Nigerians from Cameroun Republic who escaped Boko Haram attacks to that country.
Alhaji Sa’ad Bello, the agency camp Coordinator in Adamawa raised the alarm in an interview with reporters in Yola .
Bello complained that the way and manner Nigerian Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were threaten and deported by Camerounian authority was unacceptable.
He stated that what Camerounian authorities did to Nigerians refugees was totally against and violation of the International Refuges Rights .
Bello said: “The agency received a call from the men of Nigerian Immigration Services who were patrolling the Nigeria- Cameroun boarder. They called our attention that there was trucks full of Nigerian refugees repatriated by Camerounian soldiers .” Bello said.
He blamed the Camerounian government for not informing Nigeria over the development to enable it prepare well and receive its citizens.
He explained that the IDPs after thorough investigation were Nigerians from Bama and Gamboru Ngala in Borno State who escaped from Boko Haram attacks to Cameroun.
He said that the agency had formally forwarded its complaint to the country representative of United Nations High Commission on Refugees to look into the situation.
Bello disclosed that the IDPs were dumped by the Camerounian at Sahuda village in Mubi South Local Government Area, a border town along Nigeria-Cameroun boarder.
According to the coordinator, the victims comprised men, women children, pregnant and nursing mothers.
“Their situation is pathetic they were traumatized,” he said.
He said the agency with the assistance of state emergency management agency were making all possible to convey the IDPs to Yola camps.
Mr. Aliyu Maikano, the representative of Nigeria Red Cross on IDPs in Adamawa confirmed that the organization had received information on the unfortunate development.
“We have sent a rescue and first aid teams to assist the IDPs who were dumped by Camerounian security at the Nigerian boarder.
“The society is liaising with NEMA on how to evacuate the IDPs.” Maikano said
Leave a Reply