On November 27, 2015, a Boko Haram suicide bomber orchestrated a suicide bomb attack in Nigeria’s Kano State which killed at least 21 people taking part in a Shia Muslim procession.
Boko Haram killed 350,000 Nigerians since 2009, says UN report
A study published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has said that no fewer than 300,000 Nigerians have lost their lives from the attacks orchestrated by Boko Haram, an Islamic extremist group which birthed in North-East Nigeria in 2009.
The death toll, given by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in a new study on the war and its effect on livelihoods published on Thursday, is 10 times higher than previous estimates of about 35,000 based only on those killed in fighting in Nigeria since violence broke out.
The armed group Boko Haram launched an uprising in 2009 displacing more than two million from their homes and spawning one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions of people dependent on aid. The conflict shows little sign of ending.
Of nearly 350,000 deaths from the conflict, it estimated 314,000 to have resulted from indirect causes.
Insecurity has led to declines in agricultural production and trade, reducing access to food and threatening the many households that depend on agriculture for their livelihood, the UN said.
Thousands of displaced people lack access to food, health facilities, shelter and clean water, with children more vulnerable, the report added.
“With another decade of conflict, that could grow to more than 1.1 million,” it said.
Nigeria’s Boko Haram group split into two in 2016 with its rival ISIL (ISIS)-allied faction ISWAP becoming the dominant threat. Despite ongoing military operations, the groups have continued to launch attacks, spreading violence to parts of neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
In the Lake Chad region, the UN said more than “3.2 million individuals are displaced, with 5.3 million food-insecure people at crisis and emergency levels”.
The situation is worse in Nigeria’s northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, it said.
“In northeast Nigeria alone, 13.1 million people live in areas affected by conflict, out of whom 8.7 million are in need of immediate assistance,” the UN said.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired general, is under pressure to end armed groups’ violence.
But the security forces appear overwhelmed as they battle other security challenges, including herder-farmer clashes in the centre of the country, kidnapping and banditry in the northwest and separatist agitations in the south.
In the northeast, armed groups have kidnapped dozens of aid workers, of whom many have been killed.
Meanwhile, Nigerian military has said thousands of Boko Haram fighters are surrendering in Nigeria The Nigerian military says nearly 6,000 Boko Haram members including commanders, fighters and their families have surrendered to the authorities in the last couple of weeks.
Cameroon had also announced the surrender of hundreds of Boko Haram militants in the country recently.
In Nigeria, the mass surrender of the members of the militant group is a result of the intense military offensive in the north-east of the country, the army says.
The death of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in May could be another reason.
Many of his followers have either surrendered to the authorities or switched their loyalty to rival group Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap).
The Nigerian authorities say they’re now profiling those who have surrendered for possible de-radicalisation and rehabilitation.
But some Nigerians are sceptical about reintegrating the former fighters back into the society – citing possible risks.
According to the UN the insurgency by Boko Haram that began in 2009 has caused the death of more than 300,000 people and the displacement of millions of others in Nigeria and several other countries in the Lake Chad region.
Even when it comes to the fighting there is the problem of weaponry, according to Mr Adamu, who says that the military is ill-equipped
Corruption eats deep in Nigeria’s military, bolsters Boko Haram, says report
A new report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has listed corruption in the military as one of the reasons why Nigeria has not been able to defeat Boko Haram.
The report also said Boko Haram has refused to go away in the West African country because the country has not been able to address the root cause of Boko Haram since 2009.
“Corruption may be one thing that is holding the military back when it comes to improving its equipment. It is suspected that a lot of money meant to bolster the campaign against Boko Haram has ended up in officials’ pockets.
Mr Yalwa says that in some cases the fight against Boko Haram is not being fought with “sincerity” and “it seems some people have turned it into merchandise and are into self-enrichment”. In recent years, the military was hamstrung by a US arms embargo over human rights abuses. President Buhari and his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, both complained that this was hampering counter-insurgency efforts. But this was lifted by President Donald Trump in 2018 and as a result Nigeria is expecting the delivery of Super Tucano aircraft. This should build on the military’s air superiority, which Mr Adamu believes is not being used to its full advantage.
Although there are claims that even this superiority is not paying off”, said the report.
The phrase that Nigerian militant group Boko Haram had been “technically defeated” is ringing increasingly hollow.
Seven months into his first term in 2015 President Muhammadu Buhari coined the term, but the group and its offshoots have never gone away.
The military has managed to retake territory and dislodged the fighters from some of their hideouts. But a recent spike in deadly violence, focused in the north-east, where the Islamist group began its insurgency in 2009, has led many to ask what is at the root of the authorities’ failure.
Already this year there have been nearly 100 attacks, according to one estimate. A number of military bases as well as towns, including Geidam and Damasak, a hub for aid workers, have been overrun. Hundreds have been killed and weapons, food and medicines have all been looted.
There are six main reasons why Boko Haram has not been defeated despite the government claims, experts say.
1: Root causes not addressed
An over-reliance on a military strategy to confront Boko Haram is at the heart of the state’s inability to deal with the threat, argues security analyst Kabiru Adamu from Beacon Consulting.
“That’s why, unfortunately, almost 11 or 12 years into the counter-insurgency operation, we are not seeing major successes,” he told the BBC.
“Yes, the military will dislodge the terrorists but then because they are still able to exercise influence, they’re able to recruit, they’re able to generate funding, they’re able to acquire weaponry, then they regroup.”
Experts say that it is not that people in the north-east sympathise with Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province, but that neglect from the authorities and desperation often drive people into the hands of the militants.
“The reality is that to address insurgency or terrorism, you need more than military operation. You need to address the root causes of the insurgency,” Mr Adamu says.
“Unfortunately we haven’t seen enough efforts in that regard.”
He points to a lack of good governance that leaves the population impoverished, frustrated and uneducated as “one huge root cause”.
There are major government initiatives that are meant to speed up development in the north-east, but little progress has been made.
There is also the National Counter-Terrorism Strategy which also involves economic development and counter-radicalisation, in addition to the deployment of troops. But Mr Adamu says it appears the strategy is not being fully implemented.
Others, like Security analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Change, Bulama Bukarti, argue that along with deradicalisation there should be a huge surge in military activity similar to what was seen in Iraq and Syria when the Islamic State group’s so-called caliphate was dismantled.
2: Boko Haram’s ability to recruit
The endemic poverty in parts of the region as well as the insurgents’ violent methods enable the continued recruitment of generation after generation of fighters, experts say.
“People are readily available for recruitment just to survive,” security expert Abdullahi Yalwa said, citing the problems of joblessness and poor governance.
Mr Bukarti highlights the “systematic campaign of forced recruitment of young people”.
Borno state Governor, Babagana Zullum, recently told the BBC that the insurgents were even recruiting people who had previously been forced from their homes by the conflict itself.
3: Lack of equipment
Even when it comes to the fighting there is the problem of weaponry, according to Mr
image captionThe military have managed to capture some weapons from Boko Haram, as seen here in 2019
Research by his firm, Beacon Consulting, found that there were about 6.5 million small arms and light weapons in circulation in Nigeria but just 586,000 are in the hands of security forces.
It is not the case that all of the remainder are being used by the Islamist militants, but the figures highlight that there are a huge amount of weapons available that are not in the military’s control.
Mr Adamu also says that “what we are seeing based on evidence is that these [armed] groups have a higher calibre of weapons, unfortunately, than the military”.
4: Corruption
Corruption may be one thing that is holding the military back when it comes to improving its equipment. It is suspected that a lot of money meant to bolster the campaign against Boko Haram has ended up in officials’ pockets.
Mr Yalwa says that in some cases the fight against Boko Haram is not being fought with “sincerity” and “it seems some people have turned it into merchandise and are into self-enrichment”.
In recent years, the military was hamstrung by a US arms embargo over human rights abuses. President Buhari and his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, both complained that this was hampering counter-insurgency efforts.
But this was lifted by President Donald Trump in 2018 and as a result Nigeria is expecting the delivery of Super Tucano aircraft. This should build on the military’s air superiority, which Mr Adamu believes is not being used to its full advantage.
Although there are claims that even this superiority is not paying off.
5: Military strategy not working
Mr Bukarti told the BBC the insurgents appear to have “understood and adapted to the pattern of military airstrikes” and are taking advantage of the difficult terrain in Nigeria’s north-east to evade military attacks.
Boko Haram gained international notoriety after kidnapping pupils at a girl school in 2014
There are also other aspects of the strategy that have been criticised.
Over the past year the army has been withdrawing troops from smaller bases and concentrating them in large formations known as Super Camps.
This strategy was adopted in early 2020 when soldiers were under regular attack and their weapons were being stolen.
However, it has left vast swathes of rural communities unprotected, analysts say.
“We have evidence suggesting an increase in attacks on communities between the period when the Super Camps were created and now. So clearly the Super Camps left the rural communities more vulnerable,” argues Mr Adamu.
This has also devastated the livelihoods of people in north-east Nigeria who rely on fishing and crop farming, and had an impact on food production.
The military is also hampered by gaps in intelligence gathering as well as being unable to plug information leaks.
This means that sometimes it appears that “the insurgents are ahead of the military”, Mr Yalwa says.
The army disputes this alleged problem. Its spokesperson Mohammed Yarima recently said that “troops are in high fighting spirit and determined to as ever to clear the [north-east] region and the country of vestiges of Boko Haram terrorists”.
6: Boko Haram’s influence is spreading
Adding to the problems of dealing with Boko Haram is that the insurgency, once confined to the north-east, appears to be spreading.
There are concerns that armed criminal gangs in other parts of the north and centre of the country are forging links with the militants.
Last year, Boko Haram released a video claiming a presence in Niger state which is far from its usual area of operations. The authorities there issued a statement in March saying Boko Haram fighters had infiltrated the state occupying forests and attacking communities.
Last December, then army chief Lt Gen Yusuf Tukur Buratai suggested that the fight against Boko Haram could continue for another 20 years if the civilian and military approaches were not better co-ordinated.
The hard-pressed residents of north-eastern Nigeria will hope that warning does not come to pass.
UN launches $1bn Appeal Fund to assist people hit by Boko Haram
UN launches $1bn Appeal Fund to assist people hit by Boko Haram
On behalf of the victims of Boko Haram attacks mostly in Nigeria, West Africa, the United Nations is launching a $1bn (£721m) appeal in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to help millions of people in need of humanitarian aid in the north of the country.
The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been carrying out attacks in the region for the past 11 years. More than 30,000 people have died and millions have been displaced in that time.
The UN says, despite the scaling up of humanitarian assistance since 2016, the situation remains dire.
It estimates that nearly nine million severely vulnerable people in the area need aid.
The international response plan this year is targeting 6.5 million people in the worst affected states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
The UN and the Nigerian authorities say the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has made the humanitarian crisis even worse.
Christmas Eve Boko Haram Attack leaves 11 dead in Northern Nigeria
Christmas Eve Boko Haram Attack leaves 11 dead in Northern Nigeria
Several people are dead in northeast Nigeria after Boko Haram militants raided a mostly Christian village and burnt down a church on Christmas Eve.
Local sources said at least 11 people had been killed, according to AFP news.
Fighters rode into Pemi, in Borno state, on trucks and motorbikes shooting indiscriminately, a local leader told the news agency.
Pemi is close to Chibok where 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped in 2014.
Boko Haram have carried out a number of attacks in northern Nigeria where they are fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.
They promote a version of Islam that forbids Muslims from taking part in activity not derived from Islamic tradition. Boko Haram loosely translates to mean “western education is forbidden”. The group’s most infamous attack targeted schoolgirls in Chibok in 2014 and held many captive for years.
On Thursday, fighters stormed Pemi as security officials had warned an attack on the Christian holiday was likely.
Villagers fled into the bush and some are still said to be missing.
“The terrorists killed seven people, burnt 10 homes and looted food supplies that were meant to be distributed to residents to celebrate Christmas,” militia leader Abwaku Kabu said.
The attackers burnt a church, abducted a priest and stole medical supplies from a hospital, before setting it on fire.
The Boko Haram conflict, which has lasted for decades, has killed at least 36,000 people and displaced two million from their homes, according to the United Nations.
To protect themselves, communities in northern Nigeria have resorted to armed vigilantes and militia groups that work alongside the army.
In December, the group claimed responsibility for the abduction of more than 300 schoolboys in Katsina state, although the Nigerian authorities said it was local gangs connected to the Islamist group.
Last month, Boko Haram fighters also said they killed dozens of farm workers.
Boko Haram claims responsibility for abducting 333 schoolboys
Boko Haram claims responsibility for abducting 333 schoolboys
The Islamist extremist group Boko Haram has said it was behind the kidnapping of hundreds of school pupils in north-west Nigeria.
If true the announcement represents a worrying sign that the jihadist group has extended its influence in the region.
In a four-minute audio message, a man claiming to be Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the attack was against western education.
Children as young as 10 years are among those missing.
The governor of Katsina state has said 333 boys are still unaccounted for, but they’re in negotiations to rescue the pupils.
The attack in President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state follows fierce criticism of the government’s record on security.
In July, the radical Islamist group claimed in a video to have extended its influence to the north-west of the country.
This year hundreds of people in the region have been killed in attacks by what authorities here call “bandits”.
Until now it’s been unclear whether these criminal groups had links with Boko Haram. However Ansaru, a splinter group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, is known to be active in the region.
Boko Haram have waged a brutal insurgency since 2009, mostly focused in north-eastern Nigeria.
The conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than two million people.
Six Nigerian Muslims convicted in UAE for funding Boko Haram to tune of $728,000USD
Six Nigerian Jihadists convicted in UAE for funding Boko Haram to tune of $728,000USD
Six Nigerian Muslims from the Northern part of the West African country have been convicted in the United Arab Emirate for financing Boko Haram, a dreaded terrorist group which has killed over 30, 000 persons since 2009, a Nigerian newspaper has revealed.
Between 2015 and 2019, the six individuals who operated Bureau D’ Change had financed terrorism to the tune of $728.000 USD more than N300 million
The terrorist organisation which emanated in Nigeria in 2009 has spread to neighbouring countries.
An Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal in last convicted: Surajo Abubakar Muhammad, Saleh Yusuf Adamu, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, AbdurRahman Ado Musa, Bashir Ali Yusuf and Muhammad Ibrahim Isa, a Nigerian newspaper, Daily Trust revealed. While the first two persons on the list were handed life imprisonment, the last four have ten years behind bars.
“The court judgment also showed that between 2015 and 2016, the convicts were involved in different cash transfers allegedly in favour of Boko Haram to the tune of USD782, 000.00 even as those close to them said the transactions were for legitimate purposes.
Our correspondents report that for the past 11 years, the issue of Boko Haram funding had remained mysterious and different theories advanced by prominent personalities and groups.
This was probably the first time certain individuals were identified albeit outside the shores of Nigeria. A senior government official confirmed that they were aware of the case.
Court documents seen by Daily Trust indicate that arrest warrants from the office of the National Security Bureau were issued against the accused after investigations “confirmed their involvement and membership of the Boko Haram” terror group in Nigeria, and transferring money for that group.
The accused were said to have been apprehended between April 16 and 17, 2017, and their homes searched according to the search warrant issued by the National Security Prosecution office dated April 16, 2017.
Thereafter, interrogation files were prepared for each of them.
The first and second accused were said to have been charged for joining the Boko Haram group in Nigeria knowingly, which is a crime punishable under Article 22/2 of the Federal Law No 7 of 2017 with regards to anti-terrorism punishable by death or life imprisonment.
The third, fourth, fifth and sixth accused were charged with assisting the terror group knowingly, which is a crime under Article 31, Clause 1 of the same law, and is punishable by life imprisonment or jail for not less than five years under the UAE law.
It was gathered that almost all the transactions that landed the six Nigerians now in jail in the UAE were initiated by two undercover Boko Haram agents who are based in Nigeria from where they were facilitating the funding transactions.
One of them, Alhaji Sa’idu who is allegedly based in Nigeria, is said to be a senior undercover Boko Haram member responsible for facilitating the group’s access to funds from its sponsors.
Also fingered in some of the transitions is one Alhaji Ashiru, who is said to be “a Nigerian government official” and yet a senior undercover Boko Haram member who facilitated the transfer of misappropriated public funds to the group.
How indicted Nigerians got involved
Families of those affected told our correspondents that their relatives were most likely deceived in the course of their routine bureau de change transactions to the extent that some of the transactions they facilitated turned out to be for proceeds meant for Boko Haram activities.
It was gathered that one of the Boko Haram couriers, Alhaji Sa’idu, would arrange an unidentified or vaguely identified Arab person on a visit to Dubai from Turkey to hand over an amount of money in US Dollars to one of the convicts who would, in turn, advise his Nigerian-based business partners to hand over the Naira equivalent of the amount to him (Alhaji Sa’idu).
A source familiar with the case said, “I think Alhaji Sa’idu is just Nom de guerre who used the gullibility of the victims to achieve his aim. They were into bureau de change business, receiving and sending monies on behalf of others.
“From what I understand, they have been doing the business for long and along the line, they fell into a trap. I am not siding with them or trying to indict them but generally, there is ignorance on their side,” he said.
Boko Haram gets Command in Niger State by Nigeria’s Capital City
Boko Haram Launches Command in Niger State by Nigeria’s Capital City
The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has released a video in which a fighter says he is be part of a branch in Nigeria’s western Niger state, the BBC reports.
The group’s more than decade-long insurgency has largely focused on the north-east of the country and the Lake Chad region. Boko Haram fighters have waged a brutal insurgency since 2009
A presence in Niger, Nigeria’s largest state, would represent a worrying development, as it borders on the country’s capital, Abuja.
Analysts have voiced concerns that the dense mountainous and forest terrain in Niger state would be a natural haven for the militants.
Recent attacks by armed groups in the north-west of the country, including the president’s home state of Katsina, have led to protests in the region.
More than 100 people have been killed in attacks between April and June this year.
It is unclear whether these criminal groups have links with Boko Haram, although Ansaru, a Boko Haram splinter group affiliated with al-Qaeda, is known to be active in the region.
Tuesday Boko Haram Attack in Gubio is worst in recent history
Nigeria: Tuesday Boko Haram Gubio Attack is worst in recent history
As more than 81 persons have been confirmed killed and seven taken away by suspected Boko Haram fighters on Tuesday, residents said the attack was the worst of Boko Haram onslaught in recent history.
The attack came on the heels of boastful statements by the Nigerian military claiming that the dreaded group has been defeated.
This information was obtained after Governor Babagana Zulum visited the area.
In Gubio, the governor was also informed that seven persons, including a village head, were abducted by the insurgents.
Governor Zulum who left Maiduguri for Gubio early Wednesday morning to access the situation described what he saw as “barbaric.”
A statement from the governor’s spokesperson, Isa Gusau, said Mr Zulum drove to Faduma Kolomdi to commiserate with the people.
“Faduma Kolomdi, a nomadic village, is located 35 kilometres in the north of Gubio, the headquarters of Gubio Local Government area, ” Mr Gusau, the governor’s special adviser on communications and strategy, said.
He said a survivor informed the governor that “81 residents were killed during the attack on Tuesday with 13 persons injured and seven others, including village head, was abducted.
“While sympathising with the people over the attack, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum urged the Nigerian military to undertake a final onslaught that should put an end the insurgents in the shore of the Lake Chad.
Speaking to journalists in Gubio, Mr Zulum said; “Last year, about the same number of people were killed in Gajiram as it happened again.
“This is barbaric. It is very unfortunate. The only solution to end this massacre is by dislodging the insurgents in the shores of Lake Chad. Doing so will require collaborative regional efforts.”
“The insurgents in gun trucks and armoured tanks, came around 10 a.m yesterday (Tuesday), ” a survivor whose name was not allowed to be mentioned was quoted to have informed the governor.
“They operated for about six hours and left around 4 p.m. They gathered us and said they wanted to deliver a religious sermon to us.
“They asked us to submit whatever arm we had. Some villagers gave up their dane guns, bow, and arrows. The insurgents pretended as if they were not there for any violence.
“Suddenly, they started shooting at will. Even children and women were not spared, many were shot at close range. Many started running. In the end, many persons were killed and we have been burying people from 10 p.m last night to about 6 a.m this morning.
“We have buried 49 corpses here while another 32 corpses were taken away by families from the villages around us. The insurgents abducted seven persons, including our village head. They went away with 400 cattle,” the survivor said.
Mr Gusau said the survivors who could not account for many of their relatives believed the casualty could be more than the given figure.
“There were fears amongst residents of neighbouring villages, that the casualties could be higher than 81 since tracing was ongoing, ” he said
Boko Haram Attack on UN Office in Borno is Outrageous, says UN Chief
Boko Haram Attack on UN Office in Borno is Outrageous, says UN Chief
Edward Kallon, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, on Monday condemned an attack by Boko Haram on one of its buildings in Ngala, a border town in Borno State on Saturday.
The building was the UN’s “main humanitarian accommodation in Ngala.
Boko Haram attacked Ngala, the headquarters of the Gamboru-Ngala local government, hitting a building housing UN humanitarian workers.
A statement issued by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said Mr Kallon was outraged and “strongly condemns the attack”.
“I am outraged by the extremely violent attack on this key humanitarian facility where five United Nations staff were staying at the time of the incident,” the UN Humanitarian Coordinator said.
The statement explained that the attack, which occurred on the evening of Saturday, was “a direct target of a complex assault by heavily armed non-state armed groups operatives.
“An entire section of the facility was burned down as well as one of the few vehicles UN agencies rely on for movement and aid delivery.”
The statement added that the “protective security measures deployed at the humanitarian hub” prevented any harm to the staff who were in the facility.
“I am shocked by the violence and intensity of this attack, which is the latest of too many incidents directly targeting humanitarian actors and the assistance we provide,” Mr Kallon stressed.
“I am relieved all staff is now safe and secure. Aid workers, humanitarian facilities and assets cannot be a target and must be protected and respected at all times.”
He added that before the attack, aid workers had been providing assistance to more than 55,000 people in the town of Ngala.
In 2019, over 10,000 people displaced by the violence arrived in Ngala, “searching for security and basic services.
He said humanitarian hubs in Borno State, like the one attacked on Saturday, “are critical to the humanitarian response.”
“They provide operating environments for aid workers in remote locations where some of the most vulnerable people live or have sought refuge.”
“Such incidents have a disastrous effect on the lives of the most vulnerable people who depend on our assistance to survive. Many of them had already fled violence in their area of origin and were hoping to find safety and assistance in Ngala.
“This also jeopardises the ability to aid workers to stay and deliver assistance to the people most in need in remote areas in Borno State.”
“I call on all parties to the conflict to respect the principles of humanity, neutrality, independence, and impartiality which guide the assistance the humanitarian community delivers in the states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.”
‘Over 90,000 Nigerian Boko Haram refugees in Cameroon ‘
‘Over 90,000 Nigerian Boko Haram refugees in Cameroon’
Report has quoted officials from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and those from Adamawa and Borno states on Monday to have said that about 90,000 Nigerian refugees in Cameroon ”are safe’’ and will soon return.
“The officials brainstormed on Monday over plans to repatriate the refugees.
The refugees, mostly from Borno, were displaced by the unending Boko Haram insurgency.
At the meeting in Yola on Monday, the Adamawa State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Ahmad Sajoh, said plans for their evacuation had reached an advanced stage”, said Premium Times.
”Necessary arrangements have been made by the Adamawa State Government to receive the refugees, who would pass through Adamawa transit camp from Minawawo camp in Cameroon.
‘’About 4,000 of the refugees are from Adamawa, and already agreement had been reached with some communities here in Adamawa to host about 1,500 refugees from Borno, who have indicated that they would want to remain in Adamawa,’’ he said.
The commissioner, who did not give the date for the commencement of the evacuation, said the refugees would be airlifted by the Nigerian Air Force.
Also speaking, the Borno delegation team leader, Kullima Kachalla, commended the government and people of Adamawa, ”for the hospitality to the displaced persons from Borno since the insurgency started.
”Borno government is committed to ensuring the success of the evacuation exercise,’’ Mr Kachalla said.
In her remarks, at the meeting, head of UNHCR sub-office in Marwa, Cameroon, Mylene Ahounou, said: “the commission is waiting for final authorisation from the central government of Cameroon to embark on the exercise.
“We urge the Nigerian Government to also reach out to Cameroon to facilitate action.”
A representative of the refugees, Ashigar Mohammed, said ”We are eager to return home.” He thanked Nigeria, Cameroon and UNHCR for coming to their aid.
The UNHCR is a United Nations programme with the mandate to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people, and assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country.
The Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria has led to about 100,000 deaths since 2009, according to the Borno State Government. The terror group, which has been largely decimated since 2015, seeks to impose strict Islamic law in Northern Nigeria.
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