The National Emergency Management Agency said on Thursday that it had delivered 540 tonnes of relief items to Nigerian refugees taking shelter at different locations in the Diffa Region of Niger Republic.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Sani Datti, a Senior Information Officer in the agency, and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
The statement said the relief items, which included food and non-food items, were delivered to the refugees who fled the country due to the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
It quoted the NEMA Director-General, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi, as saying that the provision of the relief items was in obedience to President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to NEMA to reponse the humanitarian crisis and to assist the refugees, to provide humanitarian relief to them.
Sani-Sidi said in the statement: “President Jonathan’s government is committed to ending the plight of terrorism.
“NEMA will also continue to liaise with the Government of Niger to ensure that all Nigerian refugees live in better condition.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to providing succour to its citizens who are in distress.
“Similar relief items will be provided to Nigerian refugees in Republic of Chad and Cameroon.”
The NEMA director-general expressed gratitude to the government of Niger for hosting and providing the refugees with protection.
He also commended the UN agencies and international NGOs sheltering, feeding and providing facilities at the camps.
He urged the displaced Nigerians to remain peaceful in their host country, while they were resident there.
According to the statement, the NEMA director-general was accompanied by Alhaji Aliyu Sokoto, Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Niger, Mr Mike Omeri, the Director General, National Orientation Agency and Mr Bello Dharam, Secretary-General, Nigerian Red Cross.
The Nigerian thanked the Niger Government for receiving the refugees without considering the inconvenience or detriment to their means of livelihood.
Receiving the items, Mr Yakouba Saumana Gao, Gov of the Diffa Region, said they would work with traditional rulers and representatives of refugees in all the camps to ensure the items reached the refugees.
“The President of Niger Republic has directed the governance of the Diffa region to allow all Nigerian refugees stay wherever they want as long as they would be law abiding,” Gao said.
A representative of the refugees at the Gagamari camp, Mr Bura Goni, expressed appreciation to their host community for its hospitality.
Goni also appreciated the Federal Government of Nigeria for the relief assistance and expressed their utmost wish to return home as soon as possible.
NAN reports that some of the camps are located at Bosso, Gyasare, Garin Dogo, Geskeru, Diffa, Sayam, Gudumari, Gamarin, Maine, Shatamari, Yuskou and Gagamari.
The Diffa region in Niger Republic is about 25km to Yobe and Borno states, making it convenient for Nigerians to cross over to seek refuge there.
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