More than 2000 refugees including 157 Nigerins have fled to the Nigerian border town of Gamboru-Ngala in Borno State following heavy fighting between Chadian government forces and rebels for the control of the capital, Ndjamena, More than 80 per cent of the refugees were women and children, according to report filed by our reporter who visited the border town.
The refugees came into Nigeria through the country�s border with Cameroun via Gamboru-Ngala local government area.
The Comptroller, Nigerian Immigration Service, Borno state command, Alhaji Sambo Gwandu, who was with the refugees noted that information reaching the immigration indicates that some 3000 more refugees were on their way to the Nigerian border.
Gwandu told journalists that a total of 1100 refugees had so far been registerd. From records, he said ,576 refugees of Chadian origin had fled their country into Nigeria , 301 were indigenes of Niger Republic noting that Ghana had the least with two refugees so far at Gamboru.
The comptroller stated that the refugees started arriving the Nigerian-Cameroon border Monday evening including women and children of different ages seeking asylum in Nigeria. He noted that the refugees came in from Kusiri a border settlement in Chad where they moved into Cameroun then to Nigeria.
Our correspondent reports that they were distraught and agitated as they came in with their luggage.
Some of the refugees who spoke with our correspondent said they escaped from parts of Njamena, the Chadian capital on Saturday and trekked in search of safety after some of them lost members of their families in the encounter between rebels and government troops.
“On Saturday at about 10 o�clock in the morning we suddenly began to hear gunshots in Znago, Abina in Njamena where I lived with my family. Initially we have been told that the rebels were moving towards Njamena but we least expected that they would arrive so soon. I had sent away my father, my mother and some of my relations to Nigeria while I remained there doing my tailoring job. But that Saturday we stated hearing gunshots and curiously we discovered the rebels were announcing their arrivals in three vehicle we waved them and they acknowledged assuring us that they were not out to harm us. Suddenly government troops arrived and there was a cross fire between the two groups. People started running helter-skelter, and in the process some of us lost members of our families who were shot. Immediately we ran out of Njamena and we thought of coming to Nigeria through Kusiri in search of safety”, Muhammed Issa, a Chadian said.
A Nigerian-based in Kanim, Chad, Mala Matari, said he returned to Nigeria in search of some 20 members of his family comprising young ladies and children who fled Chad two days ago. He however said only one of them was discovered at the Nigerian border with 19 still at large.
He recalled that a helicopter which crashed recently in Kusiri caused the scare following which every body ran for safety with many believing that the atmosphere was that of an anticipated war between rebels and government troops.
Our correspondent reports that governor Ali Mosu Sheriff of Borno state who visited Gamboru ordered that the refugees be provided with shelter, at a relief camp. He also ordered the state SSG to provide food and medication to the camp before appropriate measures would be adopted.
Governor Sheriff ordered Ngala Local Government Area to make available some of its 20 units of houses to serve as shelter for the refugees already on ground. He promised that when the 3000 refugees being expected arrived, other measures would be taken to ensure their wellbeing.
The National Commission for Refugees liaison officer for Northeast, Ramatu Ladi Usman was working out modalities to ensure that the refugees were properly screened so as to identify the Nigerians among them who would want to leave the camp as well as other nationalities who were in Nigeria to seek assistance. She said the Commission would ensure that all those who came to Nigeria are received and properly catered for Nigeria being the big brother in Africa.
Our correspondent further reports that with many women and children at the camp and many more being expected, the refugees were proned to illnesses especially given the fact that many of them were said to have trekked hundred of kilometres out of Chad.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society coordinator on disaster management in Borno state, Babagana Isa said, it was ready at the camp to offer help.