78,000 Cameroonians, others sought asylum in Nigeria —UN report

Stephen Angbulu - Punch - 08/04
At least 78,962 persons sought asylum in Nigeria from 2000 to 2024, The PUNCH has learnt. This is based on a collation of published data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the period reviewed. The records, compiled from its decades-long tracking of forcibly displaced populations, reveal Cameroon, Niger and Liberia as the […]

At least 78,962 persons sought asylum in Nigeria from 2000 to 2024, The PUNCH has learnt.

This is based on a collation of published data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the period reviewed.

The records, compiled from its decades-long tracking of forcibly displaced populations, reveal Cameroon, Niger and Liberia as the top three countries of origin for asylum seekers during this period.

Nigeria’s National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons is the primary agency that manages asylum requests with oversight from the Nigerian Immigration Service, guided by UNHCR’s global frameworks.

Founded in 1989, during the Babangida regime, NCFRMI says it is “dedicated to ensuring that their rights are upheld and that they receive the support necessary to live in safety and dignity.”

The data showed that 52,1...
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