The federal government says it did not sign a tripartite agreement on voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon as earlier claimed.
The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau disclosed this in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Bassey Akpanyung on Friday.
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Sani Sidi had said last weekend that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the return of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon had been signed by Nigeria, Cameroon and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
However, the statement noted, “Only tripartite talks were held between Nigeria and Cameroon and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is expected to culminate in the eventual signing of agreement between the Heads of State of Nigeria and Cameroon in July 2016.”
It added that Nigeria, Cameroon and UNHCR held the tripartite forum on the 9th of June this year to discuss the framework for the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees being hosted by the Cameroonian government.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the UNHCR held a Regional Protection Dialogue on the Lake Chad Basin in Abuja from 6th to 8th June 2016 with Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon taking part.
