Hundreds of Nigerians who fled their country in search of safety have been rounded up and deported by authorities in Chad, in a move that has raised fresh concerns over the treatment of refugees and migrants in the Lake Chad region.
Some of the deportees, who spoke to journalists, said about 600 Nigerians were arrested in a series of coordinated operations last week and expelled to neighbouring Cameroon.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that the development comes against the backdrop of renewed warnings by security analysts over a resurgence of jihadist attacks in Nigeria’s North-East, nearly two decades after the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009.
‘They Said All Nigerians Are Boko Haram’
Recounting his ordeal, Kyari Musa, a Nigerian who had been residing in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, alleged that security operatives stormed his residence without warning.
“On Friday, security personnel raided our home.
“They said all Nigerian refugees are Boko Haram and should leave their country. They took our biometric data,” Musa told AFP.
According to him, the officials also issued stern warnings to deportees.
“They warned that whoever returns and is caught will spend 20 years in jail,” he added.
Another Nigerian, Ari Modu, who claimed he narrowly avoided deportation after being bailed out, said the arrests were carried out in phases.
“The mass arrests started on Wednesday,” Modu disclosed.
He estimated that about 227 Nigerians were arrested on the first day, while an additional 371 were picked up in subsequent raids on Friday.
Both Musa and Modu said those detained were eventually transported and abandoned in Kousseri, a Cameroonian border town located just across from N’Djamena. From there, some were reportedly moved further to Gamboru, a Nigerian border town, by Chadian customs officials.
Chad Defends Action As ‘Routine Operation’
Chadian authorities confirmed that deportations took place but declined to provide specific figures, insisting the exercise was not targeted at Nigerians.
Paul Manga, Deputy Director General of Chad’s National Police, described the crackdown as part of a broader immigration enforcement effort.
“The police carried out a roundup of individuals in an irregular situation, regardless of nationality, who were subsequently escorted to the border,” Manga told AFP.
“This is not a witch hunt.”
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that Nigeria has been battling a jihadist insurgency for 17 years, with militant groups splintering and spreading across neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
The conflict has displaced millions, forcing many Nigerians to seek refuge across borders, particularly in Chad, where some have lived and worked for over a decade.
However, the presence of displaced populations has continued to strain regional security frameworks, with host countries increasingly wary of infiltration by insurgents.
While Nigeria has in recent years facilitated the voluntary repatriation of its citizens from neighbouring countries, many returnees face harsh realities upon arrival.
Some deportees interviewed by journalists in previous reports said they found themselves returning to volatile communities still exposed to attacks. Others who relocate to relatively safer urban centres struggle with unemployment and deepening poverty amid Nigeria’s fragile economy.