Zulum Visits Cameroon, Moves To End Refugee Suffering For 3000 Displaced Nigerians

In what many now describe as a turning point in Borno State’s post-insurgency recovery, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum on Sunday visited Minawao, Cameroon, where over 3,000 Nigerian refugees from Gwoza Local Government Area have been living for more than a decade.

The refugees drawn from Kirawa, Goshe, Ashegasia and surrounding communities, fled across the border during the peak of Boko Haram attacks, leaving behind homes, livelihoods, and the certainty of normal life. Years later, many of them had begun to fear that returning home would remain a distant dream.

But Governor Zulum’s visit, accompanied by a high-level delegation including lawmakers representing Gwoza at both the state and national assemblies, has reignited hope among the displaced families. The visit is part of an ongoing initiative by the Borno State Government to repatriate Nigerian refugees in neighboring countries as peace returns to most parts of the state.

Addressing the refugees in Minawao, Governor Zulum said his presence was not merely ceremonial but a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to restoring dignity to people who have lived too long on the margins of uncertainty.

He told the refugees that adequate security arrangements have been put in place in their home communities, following years of expanded military operations and civilian security initiatives across Gwoza and other parts of Borno.

“The welfare of refugees, internally displaced persons, and returnees remains a priority for us,” he said, noting that rebuilding the lives of survivors of insurgency is one of the core pillars of his administration’s humanitarian and development agenda.

The Governor also announced the provision of cash support for shelter rehabilitation to those willing to go back, a measure designed to help returnees begin the process of reconstructing their homes and restoring a sense of normalcy upon resettlement. In addition, the governor pledges to drill boreholes to the refugees.

Governor of the Far North Region of Cameroon, Mijinyawa Bakari, has praised the unwavering commitment of Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, describing his continued support to displaced Nigerians in Cameroon as exemplary and deeply humanitarian.

Bakari, who spoke during Zulum’s visit to Nigerian refugees in Minawoa, said the Borno governor has consistently demonstrated genuine concern and responsibility for his people, even beyond Nigeria’s borders. He acknowledged the sustained humanitarian assistance, particularly the governor’s long-standing interventions in the Minawao Refugee Camp, which hosts thousands of Nigerians who fled insurgency over the past decade.

According to Bakari, Zulum’s presence and hands-on support have not only provided relief to the refugees but have also strengthened cooperation between Nigeria and Cameroon in addressing displacement and regional stability.

Many of the refugees have lived in Cameroon for over ten years, some arriving as children who have never seen their ancestral communities, while others, now elderly, feared they might never again walk the land they once called home.