Emergency rule: More refugees are fleeing Nigeria, UNHCR alerts

Disturbed by the increasing number of displaced people in North-East Nigeria, occasioned by the activities of the dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has called on the Federal Government to offer adequate protection for the internally displaced.
In a statement issued in Geneva on Wednesday, the Agency also urged governments of the neigbouring countries to throw their borders open so as to accommodate fleeing refugees and those who may want to seek asylum.
The UN Agency noted that reports from the North-East Nigeria indicate that many people have been left internally displaced and others have fled across borders and sought shelter in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
It said: “UNHCR remains concerned for the safety of the civilian population, especially those who may be forced to flee from their homes in search of safety.
“In Niger, UNHCR has confirmed the arrival of at least 2,400 people from Nigeria. Elsewhere, reports suggest that Nigerians may have been prevented from entering Cameroon because of measures taken to prevent the infiltration of armed groups. UNHCR is in contact with the Cameroon authorities to verify the reports and their impact on legitimate asylum-seekers.
“The authorities have a legitimate responsibility to secure national security. At the same time, it is vital to ensure the safety and protection of civilians caught in this situation and their right to seek asylum in neighbouring countries.”
The statement was signed by George Okoth-Obbo, Director of UNHCR’s Africa Bureau.
Okoth-Obbo also reminded the concerned countries that they are all signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention, urging them “to allow civilians fleeing insecurity or other risks to enter their territory.”
The Agency stated further that as the activities of Boko Haram and the government response continue, humanitarian agencies fear further displacement and an influx of Nigerian asylum-seekers, or even third country nationals, into neighboring countries.
It, however, pledges to assist as refugees arrive in neighbouring countries and that it is prepositioning emergency relief supplies to assist new arrivals now and in the future.