Nigeria Completes Final Phase of Refugee Repatriation From Cameroon

By: Adamu Aliyu Ngulde

The Nigerian federal government and authorities in Borno State have completed the repatriation of the fourth and final group of Nigerian refugees who had been sheltering in neighboring Cameroon, marking the end of a coordinated cross-border return effort.

Officials said 680 returnees, representing 162 households, arrived in Banki, a border town in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, in the latest movement.

The transfer concludes a multi-phase operation aimed at returning displaced Nigerians who fled insurgent violence in the northeast over the past decade.

The repatriation was carried out through a joint initiative involving the Federal Government, the Borno State Government, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Authorities described the process as voluntary and structured to ensure safe and dignified returns.

The fourth phase began on January 27, 2026, when the first group of 300 refugees crossed into Pulka in Gwoza Local Government Area. The arrivals were part of ongoing efforts to reintegrate displaced citizens into their communities as security conditions gradually improve in parts of Borno State.

At a farewell ceremony in Cameroon’s Far North Region, Governor Midjinyawa Bakari commended Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum for facilitating what he described as an orderly and humane return.

He urged the returnees to rebuild their lives and contribute to the recovery of their communities after years of displacement.

The repatriation underscores broader regional efforts to resolve the humanitarian consequences of the insurgency that has uprooted millions across the Lake Chad Basin, even as challenges related to security, housing and livelihoods remain for many of those returning home.