After 11 Years In Exile, Nigerian Refugees Return Home As Military Leads Safe Repatriation From Cameroon
For many families displaced by insurgency, home has been a distant memory.
This week, that memory became reality as Nigerian refugees in Cameroon finally began a safe and dignified return to Borno State, thanks to coordinated efforts by the military and humanitarian partners.
The Theatre Command, Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, facilitated the successful repatriation of Nigerian refugees through the Kirawa border into Pulka town, Gwoza Local Government Area, on 27 January 2026.
Troops from Sector 1, working in conjunction with the Civilian Joint Task Force and local vigilantes, provided security cover for the movement, which adhered to approved humanitarian and security protocols.
The returnees, many of whom spent over 11 years in exile, were moved from Minawawu in Cameroon through Moruwa before entering Nigeria.
The exercise was coordinated by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, ts and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), in collaboration with the Borno State Government, security agencies, and international partners, including the UNHCR and IOM.
A high-level Borno State delegation, led by Engineer Wakilbe on behalf of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, received the returnees.
At the reception centre in Pulka, over 100 households were registered and given relief support, including cash assistance, food items, mattresses and wrappers.
Medical screening and routine immunisation for children are ongoing, as authorities prepare for additional batches of returning refugees in the coming days.
The military described the operation as hitch-free, reaffirming its commitment to people-centred operations and the restoration of normal life in conflict-affected communities.
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