By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), says it has returned no fewer than 50,000 refugees into the country.
The commission also restated its commitment to managing the more than 6.7 million displaced persons in the country.
Its Federal Commissioner, Malam Aliyu Ahmed, in a speech at an event to celebrate his three years in office on Friday in Abuja, said that some of the IDPs were from neighbouring countries.
“In the last three years, we were able to return about 50,000 Nigerian refugees back into the country.
“Within the last three years, we were able to take care of displaced individuals who are living in camps and also those that are living within the host communities.
“We shall continue to manage about 6.7 million displaced individuals in this country. We are also managing the affairs of the refugees within and outside the country.
“We have refugees from other nations living in Nigeria. And, of course, we have our own Nigerians who are living in other countries like Cameroon, Republic of Niger, Chad, Liberia and many others.
“Just recently, we received 1,400 Nigerians from Republic of South Africa; and we have been receiving like that across the 36 states of the federation.
“These are some of the most peculiar tasks on the shoulders of the NCFRMI.
“But, with the support we are receiving from President Bola Tinubu, we are able to manage and then move on with our mandate,” Ahmed said.
The NCFRMI boss further explained that within the last three years, the commission has been taking care of host communities accommodating the displaced persons.
“This is because you cannot attend to only the displaced individuals; you must equally consider those who are receiving these IDPs in their communities,” he said.
Ahmed said that the commission is putting efforts towards having an authentic and reliable data of migrants and displaced persons in the country.
He said a consultant had been engaged, adding that soon, the commission would have a robust data management system for migrants and indigenous displaced persons.
He noted that most of the attention had been to the IDPs and the refugees.
“Recently, Nigerian migrants were repatriated back into the country; we have been providing trainings for refugees, migrants and displaced individuals as a durable solution.
“This is against providing envelopes to Persons of Concern. The Federal Government cannot continue to fend for this 6.7 million displaced Nigerians.
“We are into pure durable solutions now. And in doing that, we have engaged our IDPs into farming activities so that they can produce and fend for themselves.
“Also, through the training, they should be able to take care of themselves and fend for themselves.
“We have also been providing them with education because once we allow those children to live in camps without being educated, we are more or less rearing criminal in our societies.
“The commission has taken it upon itself to provide education for the displaced children that are living within the Camps,” Ahmed said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the celebration, different heads of departments in the commission reeled out the achievements recorded within the three years under Ahmed’s leadership. (NAN)
Edited by Ephraims Sheyin