The federal government has repatriated 7,790 Nigerians who fled to Chad amidst the conflict of the Boko Haram insurgency for almost a decade. 

Dauda Illiya, the special adviser on media to the Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, made this known on Thursday in Maiduguri.

According to the statement, Mr Zulum led the federal government’s delegation to Chad in the company of Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and Aliyu Ahmed, the chief executive officer of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).

It stated that the delegation was received in Baga Sola on Wednesday by the Governor of Lac Province, Saleh Tidjani.

The statement said the returnees, who are mostly indigenes of Borno, had been taking shelter in Chad after their communities around Lake Chad Basin were overrun by the insurgents.

It added that before launching the first phase of the repatriation, Mr Zulum attended the signing of a tripartite agreement between the governments of Nigeria, Chad, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Baga Sola.

The statement said that Mr Sununu signed on behalf of Nigeria, while Mr Tidjani signed on behalf of the Chadian government. Jerome Merlin, second representative of the UNHCR in Baga Sola, signed on behalf of his commission.

The statement quoted Mr Zulum as saying during the ceremony that of the refugees currently living in Chad, only those who voluntarily wish to return were repatriated.

“This exercise is entirely voluntary. We are grateful to the government and people of Chad for their hospitality and support in sheltering our people during their time of need.

“Now that peace has returned to many areas in Borno, we are prepared to help them reintegrate into their communities.

“In the first batch of the repatriation, about 1,768 families, comprising 7,790 individuals, will be transported back to Nigeria,” the statement quoted Mr Zulum as saying.

It also quoted the minister as commending Mr Zulum for his exemplary leadership and strong collaboration with the federal government in humanitarian efforts.

It also reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting states in providing humanitarian assistance and ensuring the safe return of refugees to their communities.