The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved a ₦120,000 financial support package for each of 85 refugee families returning home from Cameroon after being displaced by insurgency several years ago.
Beyond the cash support, the returning families are also receiving non-cash assistance aimed at easing reintegration, including household items and accommodation.
Explaining the support framework, Chairman of the Repatriation Committee, Lawan Wakilbe, said the governor’s return package was deliberately structured to address immediate household needs while families rebuild their lives.
“Each head of household receives ₦100,000, with an additional ₦20,000 tied to family welfare given to wives, alongside mattresses and wrappers to stabilise living conditions,” Wakilbe said.
He also acknowledged the role of federal institutions in sustaining the initiative, commending the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons for its coordination and logistical support.
Director at the commission, Murdakai Titus, noted that food items and building materials were also provided to complement the cash assistance.
“These items are meant to cushion their immediate needs, while the materials will help improve shelter conditions as more returnees arrive,” Titus said.
The repatriated families were transported from Cameroon to Banki in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, after being formally seen off in Maroua by the Governor of Cameroon’s Far North Region, Midjiyawa Bakari.
Upon arrival, they were received by security officials and traditional authorities before being processed at a designated reception centre.
The returnees are part of a larger repatriation exercise that recently saw 705 Nigerians voluntarily return from Cameroon, marking the second batch under the fourth phase of the programme.
Earlier in the week, another group of 300 refugees had been conveyed to their communities, signalling renewed momentum in efforts to close displacement camps and restore normalcy.
