Nigeria: Oru camp winds up
Published: 19/Jun/2007
Source: This Day (Nigeria)
Oke Epia
The Federal Government has set June 30 as deadline for the winding up of the Oru Refugee camp and a return of the land to Ijebu North local government area of Ogun State.
This was disclosed by Acting Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Prince Ajibose, in a remark at a workshop on local integration organised by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Abuja.
Ajibose said Liberian and Sierra Leonian refugees in the camp have the option of local integration into the community or return to their countries on voluntary repatriation.
Thanking the Ogun State Government for accommodating the refugees for the past 15 years, he said those who chose to remain in Nigeria after the closure of the camp would be integrated into the local community and would receive some assistance from government.
Speaking at the event, UNHCR Representative for Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Alphonse Malanda, said refugees who chose to return home before next year would be received at the airport by the UN agency.