Boko Haram: Over 6000 Nigerian refugees in Niger Republic set to return

A total of 6240 Nigerians who fled Borno State to Niger Republic following Boko Haram hostility may soon be on their way home after Borno State Deputy Governor, Alh. Zannah Umar Mustapha visited the refugee camp and assured them of safety.

Boko Haram had forced the Borno residents to flee their homes into Niger Republic at the wake of the incessant attacks by the orchestrated by the Islamic militants.

Mustapha had on behalf of the Borno state government urged the refugees to make their way back home as adequate security measures had been put in place to ensure their safety.

The Secretary General of Diffa Province, in Niger Republic Hassan Ardo, told the Borno Deputy governor in Bosso Council that a total of 6240 displaced persons fled from the Nigerian border villages into their country.

Ardo added that the refugees comprised of Nigerian citizens and Nigeriens living in Nigeria.

The Secretary General of Diffa said at least 1500 Nigerians were received in Bosso council of Diffa and have been hosted and catered for since their arrival three weeks ago.

A young female refugee, Kaka Fanta, 18, who narrated her ordeal through an interpreter said that the sound of gun fighting between the Boko Haram terrorists and soldiers forced her and her parents to flee into Bosso.

“We’ve been here for three weeks now’, said Fanta. ‘There is no camp here either; the people receive us in their various homes. The first day we escaped into Bosso the town ran out of drinking water, until authority here began to supplement the water through water tanks”.

Madi Bukar, a local cab driver revealed that ‘bullets fell like insects on the day the gunmen engaged security operatives in Malumfatori’.

“The trouble started when soldiers got the hint that some injured Boko Haram members were being kept and giving medical treated in a particular house in Malumfatori”, Bukar said.

“When the soldiers surrounded the said house, there were shootings from within and the soldiers fired into the house but it seemed, as we learnt the soldiers firearm had no effect on the terrorists who came out and fled. Houses were burnt and more than 3,000 people ran to Bosso. Many of us are tired of being refugees in other people’s homes; we want to return home but we are still afraid of home”.

The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Mustapha had expressed gratitude to the Nigerien government and assured the refuges that the Nigerian military had fully taken control of Malumfatori and have made the area safe for their return.

“We have come to thank the Nigerien  government for taking in our displaced citizens after Boko Haram insurgency forced them out of their homes back in Nigeria. We want to assure you that life has been restored to normalcy and you all should return home so that you don’t overstay your welcome and out stretch your kind hosts”, the Deputy Governor said.

The secretary General of Diffa province expressed concerns over the continuing civil conflict ravaging some parts of Nigeria even as he said government of Niger will not for once be tired of assisting the Africa’s giant nation in the best way it could.

Ardo said apart from Bosso town some of the refugees are also camped in Kabalewa, Chugudan, Garin-Ahmadu and Diffa.